The Pauper Princess and the Way of the Trilobite - Part 13
Part twelve is here.
What: a fanfiction for Girl Genius, featuring my literary stand-in and stunt double Mara
Time: six-ish months after the events of The Pauper Princess and the Born Legacy, and it keeps going! WHY DOES IT KEEP GOING? WHY DOES SHE NOT STOP??
I feel better now. I hope you do, too!
Legal disclaimer stuff:
"This story is not approved by, sponsored by or affiliated with Studio Foglio LLC or Airship Entertainment."
The Pauper Princess Fanfiction Theatre Presents:
The Pauper Princess and the Way of the Trilobite - Part 13!
A large caravan of old carts, wagons, trolleys and carriages, covered with dusty and dirty tarps and coverings, arrived at Mechanicsburg's gates in mid-afternoon. The driver, a soft-spoken woman wearing muted colors and an old cloak, bade welcome to the inquisitive guards and informed them that they were bringing wonders and entertainments from a magical land. The guards stared as nonplussed as any citizen of the wondrous and entertaining city of Mechanicsburg would, then harshly ordered the driver to stay put while the caravan was inspected. She furrowed her brow and traded looks with her companion, a smaller woman dressed just as plainly, but for the wisp of curly, red hair sticking out of her hood.
Before the guards could begin their inspection and before the driver could protest, an exterior door nestled in a tower opened, and a stout man with a beleaguered appearance emerged. "What is all this?" he said, waving his arms. "If you're here for the Doom Bell Festival, that's months away!"
"My good sir," said the woman, enunciating more clearly than she had for the guards, "We bring wonders and entertainments from a magical land to the fine city of Mechanicsburg." She then regarded him sharply.
After a long, perplexed stare, he nodded, then snapped at the guards who were beginning to tug at the lead cart's tarp. At the same time, two loud growls were heard from underneath, and they jumped back, holding tight their weapons.
The woman shushed loudly over her shoulder and pasted on a smile for the gatekeeper. He busied himself calling off the puzzled guards and ordering them to open the main gate of Mechanicsburg. The driver nodded to the gatekeeper and thanked him as she passed. The last covered carriage in the caravan passed through the gate a full fifteen minutes later.
Mara and Heather pulled back their hoods once they were in Mechanicsburg proper, and the two Jäger behind them folded back the tarp and sat on benches as the caravan rolled through town. Now it was a matter of contacting Agatha to find out where to park all this Stuff. Unsurprisingly they were told to continue on to the Castle.
******
"Remember, sweetie," said her mother. "It's your duty to look after your brothers. Will you do that for me?"
"That's not my duty," said the little Princess. "That's Poppa's and the city guards' and the Jägers' and Miss Daphne's and-"
"Yes, sweetie," said her mother. "I know. Your logic is impeccable, but you're still the oldest, and must serve as their model."
"Pleeeease take me with you, Momma," she said. "Pleeeease!"
"That's enough, Isabel," said her father. "This is what she means by being their model. You must-We must all show courage and fortitude today, and all the while that she's gone. We must..."
"Momma, I can be your assistant!" she said. "I can help you make things!"
"I know you could, dear," said her mother. "But your talents are best served here."
Suddenly she held up a small clank, no bigger than three decimeters and somewhat resembling her old toy clank, "JoJo." This one was not modeled after a harlequin clown, though, but a little Jäger, complete with a little metal sword.
"I made this for you, Momma," she said. "It should protect you from anything bad or scary. You can call it what you want, but I call it Sturm."
"It certainly looks like a 'Sturm,'" said her mother, taking the clank gently from her to examine it. After a moment she showed a proud smile. "I'll keep this with me always," she said, and knelt down to kiss her daughter on the forehead. Farewells for the whole family followed. Her brother Edward's tears flowed freely, and her baby brother, Silas, joined in, with his tears coming from empathy rather than understanding.
And with that, her mother left Guildern for an unknown fate.
******
On a grassy field in the shadow of the Castle, the caravan was directed by a Heterodyne attendant to stop close to a grounded airship. For a moment Mara mistook it for part of Herr Wulfenbach's fleet, until spotting the trilobite insignias throughout. A huge ramp on its side had been lowered, with Heterodyne and, she noticed, Sturmvoraus crews busily loading it and several other airships laid end to end along the plains.
By the time Mara, Heather, Piotr, Axel, and the rest of Guildern's tiny contingent had climbed off or out of their respective vehicles, Agatha had appeared from the crowd, accompanied as always by Violetta, as well as the anthropomorphic feline, Krosp.
"Right on time," said Agatha, clapping Mara's shoulder before pulling her into a bear hug. She nodded to Heather in greeting, who returned the gesture but not the smile. If Agatha noticed, she did not indicate so. Violetta's healing progress showed in that she wore a much more subtle neck protection than the complicated, bracketed contraption she'd modeled in the hospital. She also wore a much more slender form of walking cast, and was making do without a cane or staff. Mara made it clear with her body language that she wanted to embrace the dour assistant, but hesitated in fear of harming her. Violetta got the message and met her halfway.
Mara put out her hand with the intention of patting Krosp's head and perhaps scratching his ears.
"Don't-even think about it," said the cat, flashing his claws and scowling for all he was worth. Mara withdrew her hand and apologized quietly.
"Behave, Krosp," said Agatha. The cat responded with a skeptical raise of the eyebrows. His suspicion of her cousin had not waned, but she was too busy preparing her empire for war to resume their debate. Agatha gave the Guildern caravan a once-over, then doubled back to peer along its long, long length, and gave her cousin an impressed nod.
"You should be able to just ride these carts up the ramp as is," she said. "Unless you need anything assembled - or dissassembled - first?"
"I have a team that can do all the heavy lifting," said Mara, and gave some hand signals to the twenty guards that made up the human contingent from Guildern. Agatha knew that there would be no army coming, only tech, but this was as it should be.
The men and women busied themselves pulling off tarps and coverings from thirteen carts. Or not carts, Agatha realized instantly, but tank-like clanks. In fact, their design was not entirely unlike her own tiger-clanks, except that these had six legs instead of four and, for some reason, were painted - and shaped - to resemble ladybird beetles.
She clamped a hand onto Mara's shoulder. "Tell me these aren't dancing clanks from your parade?"
Mara gave her a perfectly serious look. "Yes," she said. "I did say I was bringing wonders and entertainments, didn't I?"
She allowed Agatha's skin tone to become a perfectly smooth color of ash before casually leaning back and rapping her knuckles on the beetle clank closest to her, then stepping forward. The clank seemed to nod to her before it shuddered for half a second, then erupted into a blur of shifting, whirring, clicking, hissing and buzzing, until three seconds later the clank that had previously resembled an adorable insect now stood five meters high on two beefy legs, and sported much more human-like proportions. The carapace had been moved upwards to resemble wings. Whether they were functional remained to be seen. Its forearms spun in place several times, whirring and shifting as they went, then locked into place in the form of two very large, very intimidating cannons. The now bipedal beetle clank spread its legs into a fighting stance, and pointed both cannons directly at Her Ladyship Most High.
"Hey, watch it!" said Agatha. "Wrong target!"
The clank relaxed its aim and peered at the Princess with what would be a puzzled look, if it had the means to convey expression. Its goggle eyes were fixed on her.
"M'Lady," it said, "Did you not say that she is obsessed with weapons? I was only showing-"
"Ah, stand down, please!" said Mara, pretending that Agatha was not glaring at her. "Um... get the others set up for loading all the equipment. Thank you!"
The clank nodded its aknowledgement, shifted its arm cannons into normal arms with hands, and set about getting the rest of the clanks ready for the heavy lifting to come.
"So, ah," said Mara, clasping her hands and forcing a smile, "My son really likes ladybird beetles." Agatha just stared in reply, long enough to make her cousin fidget and shrug. "My son Edward? You know, it's- I figured there was no harm in indulging him, and... he felt like he was contributing, so, ah-"
"Obsessed with weapons?" said Agatha, cocking an eyebrow.
"Oh," said Mara. "Ah... See, it was paraphrasing..."
Agatha continued staring her down, then broke into a grin. "Gotcha." Mara blew out a big breath in relief. "And I like them. Their cute appearance might even throw off the enemy a bit. You followed the designs you showed me?"
"Ah, yes," said Mara, gesturing their way. "They have all the various, uh, things I spec'ed out. Oh!" She began fishing through the pockets and folds of her cloak. "You'll want my manifest. Cargo and equipment and all that. I thought I had it in this pocket, but-"
It was thrust in front of her by Heather, who had been carrying it all the while. Mara thanked her, then held it out to Agatha, when, without warning, a woman she'd never seen before, dressed primly in white, appeared and took the list. The woman tucked it into a folder and kept it under her arm, then stood near Agatha as if waiting for more orders.
Mara waved over Seamus, who was there at Kelvin's request, and the two Jäger that had arrived with her.
"Mistress," said Piotr, "Hyu vant os vit hyu or vit de pack?"
"Which Mistress do you mean?" said Agatha.
"Uh..."
"Please join the others," said Mara. "Agatha, you've assembled your army of Jäger?"
"And then some," said Agatha with a knowing grin. "Wait. Where are the others? Augustus and Dietrich?"
******
"Prinzess, vy hyu split os op?" said Augustus. "Ve iz our own pack. Ve iz blood brodders!"
"I know that you are," she said. "You're fond of reminding people. And I'm sorry for this. Believe me, if I didn't think it absolutely necessary... But you know that Guildern is weak, militarily. There was no time to bring it to the level where it should be. And I won't be here to- I won't be here for them. Not while off in some strange land halfway across the world. Please. I need you to protect them."
"Hyu dun haff to beg," said Piotr. "It vill be don. Augustus and Dietrich vill stay und protect Guildern."
"Thank you."
"Prinzess," said Dietrich, "Ve vas tinkink dot by sorvink hyu, ve vould redeem ourselves. But if ve iz not vit hyu-"
"You will 'redeem' yourselves by keeping my family safe," she said sharply. "Keeping my children safe. Understand?"
"Yas, Prinzess."
"And my husband, the Prince," she said. "You will obey him as you would me. Even above anything that our children might tell you. And respect our children's caretaker, Daphne. Piotr and Axel will come with me, but you two: your work here is far more important to me."
"Ve understand, Prinzess," said Augustus. The four of them clapped shoulders and clasped arms to exchange farewells. "Brodders," said Augustus, "Hyu send our enemies to de gates uf Hell for os! For de Heterodynes!"
"Hoy!"
******
Agatha led Mara and Heather into the Castle and up to the rampart overlooking the gathering forces. Mara could tell that they were large, but it took a bird's eye view to really appreciate the immensity of the combined forces of the Heterodyne and Sturmvoraus empires. The gathered armies stretched almost as far as she could see, and somehow, all of it would be transported to an unknown land.
Herr Wulfenbach had not brought his own forces here and would be making his own way to Dinnunder. His super-airship, Castle Wulfenbach, would remain in New Europa under the care of regents. For one, the ship was extremely large and powerful, but slow. Second, because it was so powerful, it was considered best for it to remain as a protector to his empire. Agatha and Emperor Tarvek would also be leaving behind others to act in their stead and to raise a defense if needed. She had selected her cat for this, which would not have been Mara's first choice, but she clearly did not know the animal as well as her cousin did. Violetta was an obvious choice to remain behind due to her injury, though Mara would not think of underestimating her talents even under those circumstances.
There were other reunions to be made on the rampart, such as with Zeetha - who finally got Mara's name right - and her companion Mr. Higgs, as well as Agatha's chief assistants, Herr Von Zinzer, who expertly pulled off looking both bored and terrified, and Fräulein Snaug. In no time Mara found herself caught up in conversation with the Fräulein, and would have gone on for hours if not for Heather tugging at her sleeve.
"Thank you, Heather," said Agatha after the assistant had brought over her Lady. "Mara, you remember Tarvek?" Her co-ruler, dressed impeccably in a red velvet suit to match his hair, held out his hand in greeting.
"Congratulations on being selected as Agatha's Techmistress," he said. "I've found your tech so far to be rather intriguing. I hope you don't mind a comparison of notes?"
After a moment of flustering, Mara dipped into a curtsey. "Thank you, sir. I'd be honored."
This earned her cousin's eyeroll. "Stop that. You're embarrassing me."
"But he's-- I'm just trying to be respectful."
The Emperor chuckled and stroked his chin. "That you are," he said with a nod. And to Agatha: "You're sure she's a Heterodyne?" he said.
"Yes, we've been through this," said Agatha in an exasperated tone. "The Castle...What do you mean by that?" She slapped his arm. He pretended that it hurt, but she knew better. Moments later he had resumed a regal posture and bearing.
"Princess, no offense meant to you," he said. "The two of us were just... We go back a long way."
"Oh, no offense tak-"
"Yes, well, I hope everyone's finished having fun at my expense?" said Agatha, regarding both of them with her best arched eyebrow.
Mara folded her arms. "What have I done? I assure you, I am not having fun. Wait, what I meant is-OH!" She yelped as a very warm gust of air blew at her back, followed by the scent of... very old breath. Heather yanked her aside as a creature at least the size of a battle tank lumbered behind, then around her. She could swear that she heard a large, but not loud, voice say "Sorry" as it passed, but couldn't be sure.
After some maneuveuring on the rampart, it managed to be facing Agatha. Its tail had been whipping about as it moved. Either everyone had phenomenal reflexes, or they had become accustomed to this creature's movements and knew when to dodge. Either way, no one was knocked over or off the Castle.
"Franz," said Agatha, addressing the giant dragon construct. Mara recalled Dimo's words about a family dragon. "I need you up higher. Would you get to the highest tower and keep an eye on the field and the town?"
"Sure, sure, my Lady," said Franz. "Oh, before I forget, we'll be ringing the Bell soon, yeah?"
"No," said Agatha. "What gave you that idea?"
"MY LADY, HOW COULD YOU NOT?" the Castle chimed in. "HOW COULD YOU NOT CELEBRATE ALL YOUR FORCES GATHERED FOR THE GLORY OF THE HETERODYNE NAME? READY TO CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES AND SEE THEM DRIVEN BEFORE YOU? TO HEAR THE LAMENTATIONS OF-?"
"No Bell," said Agatha. "People are very busy right now. We're not going to stop everything for that."
"IT WILL INSPIRE THEM!"
"Right onto their backs," Herr Von Zinzer muttered to himself. Fraulein Snaug heard and nodded in agreement.
"Castle, enough," said Agatha. "You have a long of list of tasks to finish, yourself."
"RRR, AS YOU WISH, MY LADY," it said, then apparently thought it could mumble to itself. "NO BELL, NO STATUES, NO GORY PUBLIC EXECUTIONS OF YOUR ENEMIES......"
"I'd like to see a statue of you," said Emperor Tarvek. "It could replace the city's central fountain. Glaring down at the citizenry. Modeling a little bat motif like no other..."
"Don't encourage it," warned Agatha. "And what 'bat motif?'"
Mara, who had been enjoying the odd conversations so far, eventually realized that reptilian eyes were watching her. When she managed to muster the courage to glance over at Franz, he pointed at her as if waiting for the opportunity to speak up. She pointed nervously to herself, and he nodded before pushing his head forward until filling almost all of her view. Her eyes went wide, but she stood her ground.
"New kid," he said. "You look familiar. Where have I seen you?"
"Guhhh..."
"Franz," said Agatha, "Get out of her face. And why aren't you up on the tower yet?"
"Begging your pardon, my Lady," he said. "I was just working out with the new girl here if we've met before."
"Actually-"
"Oh! My manners," said Agatha. "Franz, this is Mara from Guildern, and her companion, Heather."
"She's not familiar," he said of Heather. "Ah! Now I remember! You were talking to the boys at that hospital."
"Yes!" said Mara. "Exactly. And you know, I'd love to know what you thought of Guildern? We listen to all of our guests, whether they be person, clank, or... er, construct? and-"
"Hold on," said Franz, and narrowed his eyes. Mara stopped speaking and froze in place. Agatha protested his procrastination of her orders, but he leaned in even closer and took a deep, deep whiff. So strong that it almost took the air right from Mara's lungs. When he was done, he tapped his chin with a claw, then dared to give his Mistress a glare.
"My Lady," he said ominously, "Anything else you think I should know about her?"
"No," said Agatha, and pointed upwards. "Now get." The dragon finally acquiesced, grumbling all the way. Agatha put a hand on the Princess' shoulder. "Sorry. We just don't have time for him to start throwing coins at people and forcing them to 'Rejoice!'"
Mara pasted on a smile. "Haven't a clue what you're talking about."
Agatha scoffed. "Haven't-? What about the book I gave you on Heterodyne traditions? It's all in there."
"You know, I have been very busy of late..."
Eventually the people on the rampart formed into various conversational cliques and discussed their thoughts on the coming war, battle strategies, logistical challenges, and whether to have lunch in town or right there in the castle. Mara drifted from group to group, then came to rest at the wall overlooking the field. She was not focused on any part of it, but watched the whole of it in a haze brought on by thoughts of home. She had brought her talkbox with her. It was on her person right now. She could contact Kelvin and see and talk to him and the children once more?
"There are eighteen more of them" she heard someone say.'Someone' meaning Agatha, of course. Mara put away her talkbox and straightened up. Agatha was grinning with pride and pointing to the section where the Jäger were congregated. She lowered her voice almost conspiratorially. "It was the real Draught. I've made more. And then eighteen more Jäger from that." She slapped Mara in the back and surveyed the field with her.
"I am impressed," said Mara, though not with as much enthusiasm as she might have. "Just one is worth... many soldiers."
******
"One out of ten?" she said, restraining a gulp at such odds. "Are you certain?"
"Dot iz de average, yas," said Augustus. "Only de loyalest, de bravest, de strongest... de Best...beome Jäger und ken join de pack."
"So..." she said, pausing to further ponder this meaning, but would not yet accept it. "Let's say that somebody is... not perfectly suited to it, and this is caught in time..."
The others traded looks, then shook their heads collectively.
"Hyu drinks de draught, und dot iz it," said Piotr. "Dere iz no shtoppink it. Or antidote."
"Dey tot hy dun make it," said Dietrich. The others nodded. "My heart und breathink had shtopped. Dey vas carryink me out vit de odders, but den hy liffed again! Hy grabbed de guyz carryink me und tossed dem!" He laughed at the memory, as did the others before losing themselves in a round of nostalgic anecdotes.
During the reverie Mara watched them quietly, but had to stop herself from imagining the other men and women who had also drunk the potion, but were not here now to reminisce over old tales.
Piotr pulled away from the group first. He leaned on his weapon - a pike- and grinned at her.
"Prinzess," he said, "Hyu und de Mistress found de Jägerdraught? Hyu gon make more uf us?"
"I'm... not really at liberty to say," she said. "Though I do wonder if Agatha is aware of the-limitation that you mentioned? And if so, I wonder if she would find a way to reduce or, most preferred, remove that limitation?"
"Ahhh, no, Prinzess," said Augustus. "De Mistress iz de Heterodyne und a verra schmott gorl, but she kent change de bräu! Den iz no longer perfekt!!"
"...I'm afraid that we have differing definitions of 'perfect,'" she said. "A 90% chance of death does not fit mine."
"As pipple sez," said Piotr, "De bigger de risk, de bigger de revard. Hyu vin, hyu gets os!"
The group stood side by side before her: some leaning on their weapons, some draping an arm on the other's shoulder, and all of them grinning with pride. They could have posed as is for a portrait. Mara responded with a bittersweet smile and a nod.
"That we do," she said.
******
"All right, people," said Agatha, clapping her hands once. "We're done up here for now. We all know what to do. I can see that the troops are getting lunch, and that's what we'll do."
No one on the rampart was required to have lunch with each other, though Mara happily accepted Agatha's invitation for the full dining experience. Heather would go wherever her Lady would, but given her lingering distaste for Her Ladyship Most Horrible, Mara released her from that expectation. Free to go her own way, she accepted Violetta's offer of a tour of the Castle. It was hoped that this tour would be less eventful than the one that the Mousehearts had experienced.
Mara did turn down Agatha's invitation to stay in the master bedroom with her that night. The thought of staying up all night and engaging in (Spark) Girl Talk was tempting, but she politely declined in order to stay with Heather in a guest room. This was Heather's first time at the Castle, and staying overnight alone, even if she'd be in no true danger, was not for the squeamish. She ended up being "alone," anyway, given that her Lady spent two hours on her talkbox with Kelvin and the children.
******
The next morning Agatha and her fellow Emperor were not in the Castle's dining room for breakfast, but had been up on the rampart already for an hour, assembling a "big surprise," as she'd referred to it. To Mara it seemed to be a not particularly complicated framework meant for housing ...what, she did not know. The rack was just over a meter high and had some levers and knobs, most likely for calibration. In front was a flat screen not unlike the locator screen she had made for tracking Agatha's talkbox.
Emperor Tarvek was hunched over the device and making final adjustments. Agatha stood near her contribution to the big surprise - one of her death rays. Not a large, intimidating machine, but a handheld device. Emperor Tarvek requested it and set it in place himself. He resumed checking calibrations.
"This is going to be It," said Agatha. "Once this happens, it'll be our own declaration of war. Then we move out immediately."
"I'm ready," said Mara. "You're going to shoot something?"
"Remember when you adjusted one of my death rays so it was powerful enough to destroy the moon with one shot?" said Agatha. Mara nodded. "Now all of mine can. That's why we can use this instead of some giant cannon."
"If it's not too late to offer a suggestion," said Mara, "I would recommend that you not destroy the moon. It's more useful than it looks."
"We're not destroying the moon," said Agatha with some incredulity. "Why would you think that?"
"Because you said-Never mind," said Mara. "I am quite relieved. You know how Sparks are; they have an unfortunate habit of doing things just because they can."
"Wait a minute," Herr Von Zinzer spoke up from nearby. "Did I just hear right? A Spark recognized that and called it out?"
"Moloch-"
"I'm finished," said Emperor Tarvek, straightening up. If he'd heard the mechanic, he gave no indication. He gestured to Agatha. "It's your weapon and we're in your land. You're welcome to the honors."
"Thank you, Mr. Storm King," she said, grinning and stepping up. She peered at the numbers on the screen a few moments, then nodded to herself. Emperor Tarvek pulled out what looked like his own version of a talkbox and switched it on. In a few moments Herr Wulfenbach was heard to answer.
"Fire in the hole," said Emperor Tarvek. "You're clear of Mechanicsburg?"
"We're clear," said Herr Wulfenbach. "Release the Kraken!"
Emperor Tarvek looked to Agatha and exchanged nods. She began flipping switches and knobs to start powering up their weapon.
"The device in space," said Mara mostly to herself, then to Agatha: "The item they've been using to broadcast messages? Is that your target?"
"You forgot its death ray," said Emperor Tarvek. "It destroyed one of Gil's ships in seconds."
"I heard of that," said Mara. "Forgive me if all of this has been planned and discussed already, but I'm playing catch-up. So... you've managed to calculate its exact distance, speed, and trajectory?" Emperor Tarvek nodded. "Is your beam pointed directly at the spot it's in now, or at the calculated location it will be in by the time the beam reaches it?"
"The latter," said Emperor Tarvek.
"Oh," she said. "That is good to know. What about the beam's dispersion rate? Will it have sufficient power to-"
"Mara," said Agatha, "It's fine. Just watch the show."
"...Yes, Ma'am."
Once the device had reached full power, which took little time at all, Agatha and Emperor Tarvek exchanged nods once more. With a cackle, Agatha released the Kraken.
******
Halfway around the world, the same man who had taunted the rulers of New Europa moved with determination through palace corridors. He reached a thick wooden door made of an attractive blend of contrasting woods and elaborately carved, with Dinnunder's ruling family's crest serving as a motif.
He knocked firmly on the door, then listened carefully. A woman's voice called for him to enter.
The remarkably massive and extravagant series of rooms within served as Her Majesty Queen Matilda's private chambers. The Queen did him a favor this time by being available front and center, rather than her usual wanderings from room to room.
The man bowed deeply. "Your Majesty," he said, "You wanted to be informed immediately of any updates. We have lost contact with our satellite."
"All of them?" she said, idly combing her long, luxuriant, golden locks with a rose-colored comb.
"No, your Majesty," he said. "Only our communication satellite. Our spy and weapon ones are still intact. Should we retaliate?"
"No," she said languidly. "We did promise them thirty days. We are people of honor, after all." She winked at that, but the man did not react to it. "We've seen their forces all gathered, though? We're getting a lot of pictures?"
"Yes, your Majesty."
"Then it's not a total wash," she said. She seemed to consider the implications a moment, then flashed a large, wicked grin. "Ohhh," she said with growing excitement. "They want to invade! Oh, that is just precious!"
"But..." said the man, "For that, your Majesty, we should attack! We mean to keep them where they are, yes? Why let them come here? And are you certain that's what this means?"
"Hugh!" she said. "I'm disliking your attitude, dear. They'll be splitting their forces in half to come here. We'll be at full strength. They're doing us a favor."
"But your Majesty-"
"How dare you continue questioning me?" she bellowed. "I adore you, Hugh, but keep it up and I will not hesitate to dip you in molten metal and set you in my bedroom as a statue!"
"I-I meant no disrespect-"
"Of course you didn't, dear," said the Queen, suddenly calm. She stroked his chin and leaned her hip against his. "You must trust your Queen. Before I arrived, was not this land in disarray? In chaos and despair?"
"Yes, your Majesty."
"'Matilda,' dear," she said. "You may call me 'Matilda.' Dinnunder was awash with Sparks, inventing to and fro, but with no purpose. You had forgotten your purpose. Poor dears. I'm so glad that I got here when I did! I restored your purpose!"
"We are all very grateful to you, your- Matilda."
"That's my boy," she said, and stood with her back to him, thrusting out her ample chest and rubbing her back and buttocks against his tall, athletic frame. He was... not immune to this gesture. "Ohhh, it gets me so excited thinking of them coming here! I miss them so. Especially my Gil. He's just going to die when he sees me!" Her cheerful countenance melted away. Her eyes darkened. "They all will."
*****************
--To be continued...
In "The Pauper Princess and the Fair Dinkum Blue!"