1-149 A lonely Queen

This chapter takes place after Jaina chapter 148 and Hannah chapter 21

Jaina stood with Hannah in her arms as Gwen addressed the rest of the gathered masters. Roric knew her secret already, but Frank was very surprised. Jaina wondered if he had been planning to seek Annasra out soon and was grateful that the accident was headed off. Rajeen seemed calm about it all, fully understanding the woman's need for a sexual outlet. Zillix didn't seem to understand the importance of the situation, and Blackbast had to explain it to him carefully. She got him to promise never to speak of it again and, of course, to avoid seeking Gwen for intimacy.

Once the reveal was out of the way, Gwen and Blackbast proposed formalizing the Jade Harem as the recognized center of power. Rajeen was the first to ask questions, carefully pointing out that she did not want to threaten the place of Frank and Hannah as the city's rulers.

Jaina watched as they hammered out the details of what would become a formal organization. The protectors of the Jade Harem would be a knightly order whose members would be inducted by the current masters. The Jade Harem would become the official seat of power, with harem girls having more authority in the city to act as a police force. Frank and Hannah would be on equal footing with the other masters but had the final say in any decision as it was their land the harem operated in.

Gwen asked them to create a crest that reflected the harem and declare its power. This would establish the harem and its members as the true strength of the land. She, in turn, would announce her court and declare its power across her other regions. It all seemed to be going so well, and Jaina was delighted that such a simple dream of being master and slave had grown into such a beautiful thing.

“It’s funny to think that being a slave girl is a higher position than being a free citizen,” Jaina whispered to Hannah.

“It is funny,” Hannah agreed. “But it makes sense that the harem be the source of power. Plus, it takes a little pressure off Frank, who was basically doing everything.”

“So, what about your other friends?” Jaina asked, and Hannah looked confused. Jaina reminded her of Lydia and Finneous, who each technically ruled a province of Gwen's kingdom. Hannah nodded and explained that they would likely need to be told of the changes. She was sure Finneous knew about them already, but just in case somebody needed to visit him.

“Well, you should put that before the harem council,” Jaina urged and watched as Hannah did just that. Gwen saw the wisdom in such a move and decided to hold a second meeting in her castle where she would invite Lydia and Finneous to explain the changes. It was decided that Hannah and Umtha would visit Lydia while Jaina and Evalynn would visit Finneous. Each of these individuals would be added to the court and brought in to make decisions that affected the whole kingdom. Some additional questions were asked, but they eventually reached a point where nothing more needed to be said.

Gwen went on her way, leaving the masters to discuss anything they felt was important.

“Well, I want to visit your father as soon as possible,” Jaina teased Hannah.

“Please don’t remind me he’s my father,” Hannah groaned. “He’s never been anything but nice, but he’s always smiling like he has some secret desire to bed me.”

“Maybe he does,” Jaina pressed. “Who doesn’t want a piece of Hannah?”

“Oh, just go see him,” Hannah groaned, pushing her away as Jaina laughed.

Jaina asked to be excused to make her trip, and the masters bid her to go. She took Evalynn by the arm, and together, they headed down the hall, planning how they would get there.

“We can use Quinny’s forest portals to get us within a few miles of his town,” Evalynn said. “We will have to walk the rest of the way.”

“So what do we know about this man besides Gwen married him just to give her the authority to make Hannah her daughter?” Jaina asked.

“Not much,” Evalynn replied as they went through a magic door and arrived in Hannah's tower. “He has a history with the vampire woman Lydia and was a part of her court for a while. He fled their court when he helped Umtha escape Kevins's paladins and smuggled her to the south.”

“So, he’s a bit of a hero,” Jaina surmised. “He sounds like a good man.”

“I have never met him, but Breanne mentioned that he's off-putting. He always seems to be concealing something and is usually smiling like he is enjoying the game,” Evalynn added.

“Well, if he was on the run from the paladins, I can understand why he's keeping secrets,” Jaina surmised as they walked through the tower to the graveyard. They went into the road to run into a group of five players, carefully trying to lure undead from the yard. The group took one look at the woman in slave silks and immediately asked them to join for some fun.

“Sorry, fellas,” Jaina said, turning her rear to show them the paw print. “Private property.”

“But your backs have forest tattoos,” one of the men said.

“We are allowed to play in the Lovewood when we have our master's permission,” Jaina explained. “We aren't in the Lovewood, and we don't have permission today, but I am sure we will see each other again.” She blew them a kiss and then headed off, walking for the bridge that spanned the icy stream separating the graveyard from Quinny's forest.

Jaina always admired Hannah's tower, built into a cliff face beside an icy waterfall that ran from the snow and ice on the mountain. It was the center of their homes and served as their unofficial home. The falls cascaded down a balcony set high above where Hannah and Frank would gaze over the graveyard, watching players challenge the dangers.

They crossed the stone bridge to Quinny's forest and took a hidden path that ended in a tangle of dense brush. Here was hidden the forest door that nobody in their right mind would suspect. A command word caused the brush to part so they could walk around two trees and enter between them from the other side. They stepped into another small clearing with three hidden doors linking various parts of the forest. They had to use several more of these magical doors, but they arrived at the edge of the forest to discover a small farming village.

“When did this get here?” Jaina asked

“This is Idris's adventure,” Evalynn explained. “She, Frank, and Quinny have been working on it since she arrived.”

“Oh, right,” Jaina said as she smiled. It was wonderful to have Idris back and that she was part of the harem. She finally had the adventure she always wanted to build and two lovers in, Zillix and Frank.

“I heard a rumor that she and Frank have gotten very close,” Jaina teased.

“If by close you mean they fuck like rabbits, then yes, you heard right,” Evalynn laughed.

“Zillix is a good lover,” Jaina pointed out. “I helped him understand his place as a master in the harem. He seemed to get the idea.”

“I am not so sure he did,” Evalynn laughed. “Did you see him playing with Gisely and Umtha on the beach?”

“Umm, no?” Jaina replied. Evalynn painted a picture of how the girls built an elaborate sand castle complete with turrets, flags, and a drawbridge. It was so big that it was actually to scale with the tiny dragon. They then fashioned dolls to pretend they were princesses trying to recover their family home from the evil dragon. Jaina laughed as Evalynn described the girls running their dolls about while the dragon tried to capture them and lock them in his harem.

“I would have loved to have seen that,” Jaina laughed. “It had to be absolutely darling.”

“It was, and Zillix has a playful heart,” Evalynn agreed as they entered the farming village.

“So what happens here?” Jaina asked as they passed NPC villagers.

“I haven't run it, but I think by day the villagers will hint at it being dangerous to be out at night,” Evalynn explained. “All the real action is supposed to happen at night when a zombie hoard attacks, but Breanne told me Quinny talked her into adding more. The villagers will hint that there are dark things prowling a nearby barn so players can investigate during the day and not just at night.”

“That was a good idea,” Jaina greed.

“Idris thought so, too,” Evalynn replied. “If I have this correct, the number of zombies scales to the size and strength of the party but is always at least three. They are supposed to be stragglers from the previous night's attack, hiding from the sun.”

Jaina nodded as they passed an old woman who gave them a wary gaze before resuming her clothes washing in a tub. She thought it was impressive how realistic the village's day-to-day affairs seemed to play out. It looked and felt like an actual village trying to survive in a harsh world. They passed beyond the village and headed down the road, where they ran into two women coming the other way.

“You two are a little underdressed,” a woman in full armor stated.

“We are harem girls,” Evalynn replied. “We are only permitted to wear slave silks.”

“You two are harem girls?” the second woman, who had soft blue hair and leather armor, asked.

“We are,” Jaina replied, turning her hip to show the paw print. “Property of the Jade harem.”

“Why do so many girls join the harem?” the armored one asked.

“Why not?” Jaina laughed. “We are given a home where we are loved and cared for, plus we consider each other lovers.”

“So you're all a bunch of lesbians?” the leather-wearing woman asked.

“Not all of us,” Evalynn answered. “Plenty of us like men, but most of the harem is forbidden to make love to a man who isn’t a master of the harem. A select few are allowed to play outside the harem but only under certain restrictions.”

“I knew that some of you were in that forest, but I never see you out here,” the armored woman said.

“We aren't allowed outside designated harem areas unless on a specific mission,” Jaina said. “Which is why you never see us out here. But, girls like Princess Hannah have special permission to go where they please.”

“Does that mean you two are on a mission?” the blue-haired woman asked.

“We are just going to deliver a message to the master of the keep,” Jaina said.

“If by master you mean Finneous, then I wish you luck. He's almost never there,” the armored woman said. “Word is he spends most of his time in Shadowbrook.”

“Where is Shadowbrook?” Jaina asked as she looked at Evalynn, who shrugged.

“It's the big village in the woods northeast of here,” the blue-haired woman said as she pointed. “You know, at the base of hills with that haunted-looking castle ruled by a woman nobody ever sees.”

“You mean Lydia?” Evalynn asked.

“I think I heard that was her name,” the armored woman said.

“Great, we came all this way for nothing,” Jaina groaned. “Hannah is going to run into both of them.”

“We need to check at least to see if he's home,” Evalynn insisted. “We told the harem we would deliver the message.”

They parted ways with a wave and headed for the keep to find it unusually busy with players. Many used the keep as a base of operations in the swamp and a route north to the Lovewood. Finneous had created a mall village square outside the keep itself with a dozen buildings around a statue of himself. They were quickly noticed as they wandered into town barefoot and wearing only sheer silks that left little to the imagination. Some approached to ask if they were slave girls, and Jaina happily showed them the paw print on her rear. Many were disappointed to know they were off limits, but a few still teased and moved on with a happy wave. They went into the keep and to the gates of the main building, where guards politely told them the master was not in.

“And we wasted our time,” Jaina sighed. “I could be molesting Hannah right now.”

“No, because Hannah went to see Lydia,” Evalynn reminded her.

“Oh, right,” Jaina grumbled. “Well, I could be making love to Umtha and Quinny.”

“You can go a few hours without sex,” Evalynn sighed and dragged her off.

“I can not,” Jaina protested. “I am addicted to it now. I need it regularly, every day.”

“You do not,” Evalynn laughed as they headed back. “And if you need it that badly, I will give you one.”

“You may have to,” Jaina grumbled.

They headed outside the back down the road as the sun moved to its noon position. They returned to Idris's village and took the fork for Lydia's province. Evalynn wanted to go as far as this Shadowbrook and see if they could find him. Jaina had no reason to argue, so she happily followed, wondering if they would run into Hannah along the way.

The road was a wide stone lane large enough for two wagons to pass. It slowly wound through the hills and into the mountains, passing a strange tower on the right. Jaina recalled Hannah mentioning that this was part of Lydias region, a sort of boundary marker of her domain.

The mountains passed after an hour and gave way to dark forests of mixed pine and aspen with scattered fantasy trees with dark leaves. The air smelled of the damp woods, and the forest floor was densely matted with pine needles and clumps of ferns.

“This looks like any northern forest in the real world,” Jaina said as they paused along the road.

“It smells earthy,” Evalynn agreed. “And it feels lonely.”

“From what I understand, Lydia was going for a kind of northern European kind of feel,” Jaina said as they continued to walk into the lonely forest. “But I don't understand why it feels so barren.”

“It's the lack of color and sound,” Evalynn said. “You're used to the Lovewood with its color everywhere and the sound of chimes or distant singing always on the wind. This place feels like an isolated forest in some forsaken wilderness. I don’t even hear birds singing. It’s like everything is hiding from some dangerous predator.”

“I hope you're not right about that,” Jaina said as she looked around, expecting to see something stalking them. They walked for another hour as the silent forest continued, offering them nothing.

“You know, it occurs to me we don’t even know where this town is,” Jaina said. “We might still be hours away.”

“I was just thinking that,” Evalynn replied as they rounded a bend to find an old flagstone bridge spanning a broad, lazy creek of dark water. “Maybe we should turn back.”

“I wonder if Hannah came this way,” Jaina said as she looked down the road. “She probably knew where the town was and….” Jaina stopped mid-sentence as they heard a snapping sound and spun around to look behind them. A tear-like shape appeared in the air before widening to drop a lone woman to her feet before them. She stood tall and glared at the two as she frowned in annoyance.

“Gwen?” Jaina asked in shock. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just about to ask you the same question,” Gwen replied. “I seem to recall that Hannah was supposed to go to Lydia and you two to Finneous.”

“He wasn't home,” Jaina replied. “But we heard a rumor he was visiting the town in Lydia's domain, so we came here to find him.”

“Hmm,” Gwen said as she looked around the forest. “I suppose this could make things easier.”

“Make what easier?” Jaina asked as Gwen suddenly looked upset.

“Hannah commented in the temple about how I should open my affections to my actual husband,” Gwen began. “I know I said I would never do such a thing, but I was lying. I have considered it, and I do even now, but I hardly know the man. He seems decent enough and runs a good town where he handles responsibility well, but that doesn't mean he's a good man.”

“So you have been considering trying to get to know him?” Jaina asked.

“The thought has crossed my mind, yes,” Gwen replied irritably.

“So, how does that explain why you’re here?” Jaina pressed.

“Because I know he’s here, just a mile to the north,” Gwen sighed. “And I have been struggling to think of a way to approach him. I thought maybe I could sneak up and watch him for a bit to see what he's like.”

“You are seriously going to crawl around in the bushes like some love-sick stalker?” Jaina laughed.

“I am not lovesick,” Gwen snapped. “I am being practical. As the Queen, every interaction I have with him will have to be formal. He will be on his best behavior and act accordingly. I want to know what he's like when he isn't being scrutinized. I want to know the real man.”

“Oh,” Jaina said as she looked at Evalynn. “You want a chance to get to know him when he's not bowing and scraping before the Queen.”

“If he's going to be my husband, I need to know the man behind the act,” Gwen sighed.

“Well, there is a way you can do that easily,” Evalynn suggested.

“How?” Gwen asked with a true curiosity.

“Don’t go before him as the queen,” Evalynn replied. “Go to him as Annasara.”

“As the temple whore?” Gwen scoffed. “I can’t do that.”

“No, she's right,” Jaina interjected. “Go to him as a sexual, feminine woman, and you will have a chance to get close to him and get to know him.”

“Yes, by having sex,” Gwen insisted.

“Which you would be doing as Annasara anyway,” Evalynn said. “So put that persona to use and get close enough to the man to learn about him. A good bought of sex, and he will probably tell you all his secrets and fears.”

“A woman doesn’t typically get to know a man by sleeping with him first, then forming a relationship,” Gwen pointed out.

“No, but most people aren't in your situation,” Jaina countered. “If you go to him as Annasara and you discover you don't like who he is, it's easy to break it off. You walk away, and he thinks you were just a temple whore, and it's over. Besides, nobody said you had to sleep with him right away. You could take a little time to get to know him.”

“I can’t believe I am actually considering this,” Gwen sighed.

“What have you got to lose besides a few hours hiding in the bushes?” Jaina asked.

“That would be far harder for you to explain,” Evalynn laughed. “Could you imagine what he would think if he caught her?”

“So, how do you propose I confront him?” Gwen asked. “I can't just walk up to him as Annasara and strike up a conversation.”

“No, we need a reason for you to be here,” Jaina agreed. “Or a way to place you with him.”

“Again, that's easy,” Evalynn said as she turned to Jaina. “You masquerade as Blackast, and we will be girls from your temple. You are here looking for Hannah and Umtha, who were sent this way to talk to Lydia. You need Hannah to return to the temple immediately, but you wish to keep Annasara away for a bit. Then you ask Finneous if he wouldn't mind entertaining her until you return for her in the morning.”

“You want me to stay with him all night?” Gwen balked.

“What better way to get to know him?” Evalynn asked. “Spend the night talking with him if you want, but this is a good way to put you two together in a neutral setting. He won't know who you are and thus will have no reason to be on good behavior. You can observe him in the wild, so to speak, and learn far more than you will form a bush.

“Alright, that part I understand,” Gwen began as she worked through the idea. “But doesn't it seem strange that you would just push me off on him on the spur of the moment?”

“That's why our story is based on the truth,” Evalynn said. “The part about Hannah and Umtha is true, and we will go on to look for them. If he wonders why you can't just go back with us, we will say there is a guest at the temple who requested Hannah and very rudely rejected Annasara's affections. As such, we thought it best you were elsewhere until he left. We can even twist his arm a little and say if he's not interested, we will just put you in the harem for the night.”

“This is why Roric was so brilliant to put you in charge of me,” Jaina laughed. “You know how to take charge and think quickly.”

“Yes, she's skilled at making sound decisions,” Gwen agreed. “We need a rank in the harem for women who are also harem guardians. A second wing of battle sisters, so to speak. In fact, the entire harem should be organized into combat squads under those captains. “

“Oh, I like that idea,” Jaina said. “The masters should each have a couple of girls who are their captains and under their authority. In times of need, they can form a squad of battle sisters to defend the harem and its lands.”

“This Jade harem thing is going to make the other lords question if I am becoming too powerful,” Gwen said with a smile. “I am very pleased with that, but back to business. Are we sure we can't think of a better plan than this?

Jaina shook her head as her form flowed like water, turning gray before she reshaped to be the perfect image of Blackbast.

“I cannot think of a better way to help you,” Jaina said in the cat woman's voice. “Now, put the collar on, and let's go find him.”

“Speaking of which, why is he just north of here?” Evalynn asked as she stared into the trees. “Did we miss a fork in the road that leads to the town?”

“No,” Gwen said, placing the collar around her neck. Instantly, the magic of the slave collar took hold, and she became the golden-skinned elf woman known as Annasara. Her clothing changed with it to soft blue silks held up by golden cords. “As near as I can tell, he's camping.”

“Camping?” Jaina laughed.

“He has some wolves with him, and they seem to be prowling this entire region. He keeps stalking these forests like he is searching for something, but I haven't figured out what yet,” Gwen replied.

“So he isn't coming here to see Lydia?” Jaina asked. “Maybe he's hunting or watching her?”

“I can see his exact position in the world using my scrying mirror. However, from time to time, he simply vanishes, and all I ever see is a shadow moving among the trees,” Gwen explained.

“Oh, somebody is a stalkery jaded lover,” Jaina laughed.

“We were never lovers,” Gwen corrected with hands on her hips. “And I am not stalking him. I am simply considering the possibility that he could actually be my husband. I have been thinking about it for weeks, and Hannah's suggestion made me decide to act. I came here to see what was happening when I lost sight of him in the mirror. I hoped I could put to rest what he was doing to hide and maybe learn something more about him. I need to be sure this is a good idea before I dare to open my life up to him, and I can't do that as the Queen.”

“Gwen, we completely understand,” Jaina said, walking up to her to pull her into a hug. “And this shadow thing would have me concerned, too.”

“Yes, there are several concerning details here,” Evalynn agreed. “Why does he keep coming to the woods to camp? How is he evading the Queen's ability to watch him? What is it he doesn't want people to know about him?”

“Exactly,” Gwen said. “And he needs to be the kind of man that will keep my secrets to his grave. You witnessed that interrogation of my daughter. Those fools are watching and will exploit any opportunity to pressure or manipulate me. I can’t take a risk like this. I have to be sure.”

“Just point us in the right direction, and we will get you two together,” Jaina insisted. “What you do from that point is your choice. At the very least, you can sit around a campfire and talk to him for hours. That should give you some insight into him.”

“I suppose this is our best idea,” Gwen relented and pointed into the trees. “He's that way.”

“Hmm, how do we explain why we wandered off the road?” Jaina asked as they headed into the trees. “If we are looking for Hannah, it will make sense we would stick to the main road.”

“We are following the scent of smoke,” Evalynn replied, sniffing the air. “You can smell it from here.”

“Oh, I can smell it,” Jaina agreed as she paid more attention to their surroundings. “He must have a fire going already.”

“But it could be a battle, and since Hannah was known to have come this way, I, as your protector, suggested we investigate,” Evalynn said.

“She really is good at this,” Jaina said to Gwen.

“She displays a remarkable talent for twisting fact and fiction,” Gwen agreed. “She would make a good diplomat.”

They wandered through the forest that remained remarkably silent except for the crackle of fallen pine needles beneath their feet. Jaina remarked how wonderful the naked defense skill was as it enabled Gwen to cross the ground harmlessly. Gwen agreed the slave class had some useful skills as they passed through a low area. The smell of smoke was growing stronger, and as they climbed the next slope, Evalynn donned her armor and weapon. They crested the next rise to see a small campfire burning with a low fire in a clearing. Around it were six large wolves resting as if tired from a hard day of hunting.

“All I see are the wolves,” Evalynn said as she paused their march to examine the scene. “I don’t think we should approach any further unless we are sure it is safe.”

Jaina went to agree when a dark shape suddenly rushed from the nearby trees to close the ground on them rapidly. Evalynn responded with a shout of challenge and interposed herself between the group and the beast.

Jaina was shocked when it stood seven feet tall, its body covered in dense fur. It had the face of a wolf and the body of a powerful man as it raised hands that ended in hooked claws. His eyes were a dark, muddy orange as they glared down at the three women with a savage intensity.

“Take Annasara and run!” Evalynn shouted as she brandished her weapon.

“Wait,” Jaina said in Blackbast's voice as she stepped forward. She stared at the monster, who tensed but made no effort to attack. The wolves had stirred in the commotion and approached, but none seemed alarmed by the presence of the girls.

Jaina tried to put the pieces of what she knew about Finneous together as she confronted the strange beast. Hannah had once told her that he was a member of Lydia's little club. He was known as the hunt master for reasons unknown but abandoned his position during the goblin wars. Hannah said that Finneous had rescued a very weak Umtha and carried her to safety across Lydia's lands before running with her. He escorted the goblin woman to the south, where they parted ways, and he vanished only to resurface later. What struck Jaina the most was the fact that his position of hunt master was given to another, a disagreeable man who was a werewolf. Now, Jaina looked at the creature before her, and it all made sense.

“Finneous?” she called as she reached out her hand. “Why are you being so aggressive?”

“Finneous?” Evalynn and Annasara said in unison.

“You? You know about me?” the beast asked in a growling voice.

“I have suspected for a while,” Jaina replied as she folded her arms to mimic the annoyed look of Blackbast. “It was fairly obvious that you had some connection to werewolves after you asked for safe refuge for Lydia. Hannah told us of your connection to the title of hunt master and who held it in Lydia’s court.”

“Hannah?” Finneous repeated. “I thought only Gwen called her that.”

“Ah,” Jaina purred as she remembered they had a primary mission to fill him in on the changes. She explained the newly formed Jade Harem and its place in the political spectrum. She also told him of the court that Gwen was creating and how he was expected to meet with Gwen soon.”

“I see,” the beast replied and turned to snarl at his wolves. The beasts sat or lay down, looking unbothered by the group or their master. “What are you doing in the forest with two harem girls?”

Jaina told him the story about looking for Hannah, who had gone to see Lydia and tell her about the changes. She explained that the scent of smoke made them worried Hannah had gotten into a battle and her fiery nature might have been at play. They came to investigate and stumbled on his camp. He seemed to accept that as a viable answer, then asked why she had a mostly naked girl with her if they were expecting trouble.

Jaina introduced her as Annasara and explained she needed to be removed from the temple to avoid a conflict with a guest. Jaina said she wanted to keep her nearby to ensure she did not get into trouble. She only brought the girl because they didn’t expect danger, but the smoke had to be investigated.

“So, my daughter is a harem girl?” he asked with a confused tone.

“Don’t say it like that,” Annasara cut in. “She is a strong and beautiful woman who has chosen to follow her heart.”

“Be quiet,” Jaina snapped in a perfect copy of Blackbast's sharp tone before turning her gaze on the werewolf. “Hannah has taken her mother's given name as her proper one and has chosen to submit to the harem's masters. She is doing this to ensure her safety and the safety of her kingdom because of her dark past. It is her way of dealing with the pain of her forgotten memories.”

“I feel terrible for her and her memories,” Finneous said. “But maybe it's for the best that she doesn't remember. Besides, she has Frank, who seems like a good man and has always stood by her.”

“Yes, Frank is a good man,” the fake Blackbast agreed. “His character is beyond question, unlike yours.”

“Hmm,” the wolf man said as he scratched his chin. “You won’t tell anyone about this, will you?”

“Why are you keeping it a secret all?” Jaina asked, doing her best to mimic a scolding Blackbast. “This kingdom welcomes monster players with open arms. You don’t need to hide this.”

“I am not hiding it from you or your friends,” Finneous replied with a pointed claw. “I am hiding from those who would like to see my head on a pike.”

“What are you talking about?” Jaina pressed. “Who would want you dead?

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Finneous said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “And I came out here to be alone, so if you don’t mind, I would like to get back to doing that.”

Jaina had to think fast as he told them to go away. She looked to Gwen to see if she should continue the plan to see the woman shake her head gently. Jaina could see Gwen had been surprised by the man's appearance and the fact that he had been a werewolf this whole time. She wasn't ready to be left with him and his pack, but there would never be a better chance to make this happen.

“Are you sure you wish to be alone?” Jaina asked while swaying in a sultry way. She was using her powers to sway his mood and make him a little more pliable. He seemed more annoyed than enamored, but he folded his arms and asked what she meant.

“I need to keep this one away from the temple for a bit, and you seem rather lonely out here. Perhaps you would be willing to entertain her tonight?” Jaina pressed as Gwen covered her mouth in shock.

“She belongs on a bed of silk cushions, not the hard pack of the forest floor,” Finneous replied. “She will not be comfortable here.”

“He’s right,” Gwen said in a sudden burst. “Perhaps I could go to the harem chambers.”

“See,” Finneous said with a toss of his hand. “Silken girls belong in silken halls. I cannot offer her the comfort she deserves.”

“You are technically king of this land,” Jaina insisted. “You could offer her much.”

“Gwen rules this land,” Finneous said with a raised finger to make a point. “And I would never betray the trust she put in me to help Heather.” He turned to walk off, giving Jaina a chance to look back at Gwen, who looked annoyed now. Finneous had spoken the first unprotected words from his heart, and they spoke of honor and loyalty.

“Well?” Jaina whispered. “Do I keep trying?”

Gwen sighed and nodded, so Jaina turned back and went after the retreating man.

“I respect your loyalty to Gwen, but that has nothing to do with my request. I need somewhere out of the way to put her, and this is the perfect opportunity,” Jaina insisted. “Surely you could let her sit by your fire for one night. I will come to your keep to collect her tomorrow afternoon.”

“Why are you being so insistent about this?” he demanded. “What are you playing at?”

“I am playing at nothing,” Jaina growled back at him. “But I am becoming curious about why you are hiding out here. Surely, you have better things to do than skulking in the forest with a pack of dogs. What are you trying to avoid, and why would the company of one girl for one night be so troubling to you?”

“Fine, she can stay one night,” he barked. “But I want your promise that not a word of my nature gets out. Especially from her.”

“I will see to it she swears never to reveal anything she witnesses tonight,” Blackbast said. “And I will be in your debt. You do not realize what a favor you are doing for me.”

“Whatever,” he sighed. “Just leave her and go. I will have her waiting in the keep by ten tomorrow.”

Jaina turned and sauntered back to the others, still pretending to be Blackbast. She instructed Gwen to stay to keep the big man company and do what he said. Gwen looked at her nervously but nodded as Jaina leaned in to whisper.

“Just talk to him,” Jaina said. “I will come for you in the morning, and you can tell me how it went.”

“I hope this isn’t a mistake,” Gwen said and stepped forward, approaching the campfire and the pack of wolves.

“Are you sure you want to leave her here?” Evalynn asked as she played the role of not understanding what was happening. Jaina smiled and insisted it was the perfect place to hide Annasara, then insisted they return to looking for Hannah. The two departed to leave a nervous queen pretending to be a slave girl alone with the beast. Jaina hoped Gwen would learn what she needed to know and that there was hope that one day, a king might sit beside her on his throne.