A Song on the Wind

by:

Delicious Vodka DeBlair

A song on the wind sang to me A touch in the rain reached out to me A hope on the horizon pulled at me A heart in the flame called out to me A word from your mouth emboldened me A look from your eyes instilled in me A touch from your hand empowered me A wish from your heart commanded me A voice in the dark spake to me A cloud in the sky covered me A flower in your hand caressed me A scent in your hair it captured me A night in the wild transfigured me A day in the garden reminded me A sigh in the breeze is carried me A kiss from your lips imprisoned me And with a vow from your lips you married me.

You know how so often in comedys they have the poor Yuri girl who gets nothing in the end but abuse.... Well, what if such a girl was the servant of a ruthless queen who had a 2-faced advisor and over time the sincere affections and loyalty of the Yuri girl were being mimicked falsely by the advisor dude until the queen in her keen sensibilities began to see the difference so much it actually leads to romance Like say... The Yuri girl is all the time swearing fealty and loyalty til death and will eat nothing but bread and water and abstain from all fleshly desires and all this [different claims in each court appearance] and the advisor, trying to appear loyal [when really disloyal] begins parroting the assertions of the truly loyal girl and the Queen sees through it, and not only does she foil the 2 faced advisor's plot, but over time in her privacy begins to ponder on the feelings of the girl until it makes her crazy and she has to find out more and eventually finds herself falling in love with the lowly soldier girl... And in the process, the queen even looks at her own life and how cruel she has been to people and

amends her ways becoming a more righteous ruler and brings peace to her troubled lands by fairness justice and benevolence all because if the faithful soldier girl Episode 1: Getting to Know You The Hard Way In the distant lands of Restoshian lived a young, and rather odd looking girl of fourteen who was the daughter of two soldiers. Rastia Ksiitan was also the oldest of eight children and proud to be a big sister to all of them, but before anything else in life, she was first an foremost, a solder. Both mother and father had served as common foot soldiers as had their parents and their parents before them. It had come to be a caste system over the millennia by accident it seemed. Somehow, soldiers would meet and fall in love and marry and have children who would themselves carry on the family tradition. It is unknown how long this has gone on, just as it is unknown how long this country had been a monarchy. I simply was and that's how it seemed it was going to stay. Rastia was a gawky, spunky, flat chested, freckle faced girl with pigtails and an overly exuberant and often annoying personality, but she was a fierce fighter, naturally talented and undyingly loyal to the monarchy she had never yet met. She held the belief that the ruler was the country, and without the ruler there was no nation and without a nation there was no purpose. She came to this rationalization all on her own. She would tout it to the other children, be they soldiers or not. She had trained since she could walk and was proficient in everything, but she preferred the spear and glavie type weapons. She liked the additional reach and extension of power she felt it added to her. She would often for hours practice against other weapons forms just so she could hone the weapon skill into a true advantage. She knew that close in fighting would put normal spear wielders at a disadvantage so she worked extra hard to learn the ins and outs of both using and defending against all other weapons she might encounter. And even though there had not been a war since her parents were children, it was not wise to be unprepared, so mock wars and tournaments were held every season to prepare the soldiers for the eventualities of all kinds of weather in all kinds of terrain. Time and time again, in her age division, Rastia won handily and was on her way to the tournament one day when a royal advisor met her along the road walking to the tournament. A soldier I take it? He said as he rode nearby on a fine steed in the scorching noonday sun.

Yes sir! she proudly piped up, And a champion at that! she boasted. A champion, you say? his demeanor patronizing. Yes sir! she continued unfazed. And do you expect to win again this tournament? he queried light heartedly, not thinking too much of the conversation but that it was a mere diversion of thought from his real task which was to recruit potential candidates for the royal elite guard, since part of his job was to scout out top talent for the replacement of retiring soldiers and officers. I always do sir! she sang forth. Always you say? Yes sir! she proudly responded and added, This year I am old enough to CHALLENGE!| You are, ey? he mused to him self, this little girl surely doesn't appear to be fourteen... And who do you expect you shall challenge? he queried with interest. To his shock, she casually swiveled her head on her shoulders without breaking stride and with a backward glance indicated the chief of his own royal delegate patrol, Him sir! The patrol officer stumbled and everybody behind him crashed into him sending the whole of them tumbling and sprawling to the ground, but Rastia never broke stride but with a pleasant smile on her face faced back forward and continued walking as if nothing ever happened, her gleaming dragon blade bearing merry little bells which jingled in the wind because she walked so smoothly she seemed to have no gait. The soldiers all grunting and cursing in anger and dismay hurried to get off one another and back into a sense of dignity with such words as Get off my face you oaf! and Watch where you point that thing! The Chief of Patrol reared his dust covered head and glaring at the young maiden in armor growled menacingly and then barked, Resume formations! March! The advisor was not sure if the girl were crazy or just that good. Either way, it was clear she was one to be watched!

At the tournament, stalls were set up all around, people few kites in spectacular displays with menacing faces on them and some were shaped like Koi and some like birds others like dragons, but all of them were manned by no less than 20 people and often they would battle until one or both of the kites came crashing to the ground.

Rastia knew some of her friends would already be here since they had come the day before, and she aimed for the appointed meeting spot where they were as she expected waiting. Rastia! a 10 year old Shimnim exclaimed and everybody else chimed in. Ya-oh! she shouted out as she came near, Have you been waiting for me long? All morning long! the 12 year old Dee Shinn replied adoringly, Aren't you hot in that armor? Nahh, Rastia replied dismissively, I'm a SOLDIER and we don't suffer such weakness! So cool! they chorused, I wish I were a soldier... Shimnim followed wistfully, Then we could get married! Rastia never once thought anything except the caste system and sadly sighed in agreement, Yeah, its a shame too. You would be a wonderful wife! They all paused looking downcast, but Rastia brightened up, Hey! I get to CHALLENGE this year! And I already picked out who I am going to challenge! she was beside herself with excitement. You have? their eyes wide and incredulous. Yes! she proudly declared, and with a gesture of her long glavie with the distinct jungle of bells, she pointed up the road toward the dusty band of royal guards, That front guy with the fumanchu! Waaaaaaaaaaa??? their eyes widened in terror and disbelief, You can't- Sure I can! she retorted, He is here on the tournament grounds isn't he? Uh-huh... the chorused doubtfully. That makes him fair game! But you'll get KILLED! Shimnim burst out tearfully. Oh..., sighing in pity and exasperation, Now stop that crying! I'm not going to get killed! she rebuked softly while taking Shimnim's dainty hands in her own calloused ones. With that she gave the younger girl a little kiss on the forehead which produced a gasp/sigh of adoration and the tears stopped suddenly. Ohhhhhhhh she purred, I SO wish we could get married...

As various matches came throughout the day, groups and classes of fighters mainly sparred against each other, but Rastia sparred in every class and won every match.

The advisor was indeed very impressed with this vivacious little girl who was handily tossing other youngsters to the ground and handily disarming them without even so much as breathing hard. At the 9th hour of the day however, it was time for age group and class champions to all gather around and begin the challenge process. Anyone who won their class for their age group above the age of fourteen could challenge anybody who served actively and who was within the tournament grounds that day. As promised, Rastia posted her challenge to the royal guard patrol chief, which brought gasps of disbelief and even dismay from the crowds. An older boy who was in swords challenged Rastia as well, so she would be in two challenges instead of just one. Since she was defending, she had to respond to the challenge posted toward her before she could go face the challenge she posted to the chief guard. A tall lean boy with tawny muscles and a hungry look came into the ring, sais in hand. Even though he won swords, in a challenge, there was no rule forcing one to use their original winning weapon and surely he felt he was a shoo-in against a glavie weapon with the shorter weapons. As they circled, Rastia was smiling brightly as if she were looking on a dainty piece of cake covered in sweet cream, but the boy has narrowed eyes and a look of cold determination. As the circle master chopped down with his scarved hand, the boy lunged to close the gap quickly. Rastia without so much as a blink counter-spun her glavie under her left elbow and brought it around in a highly abnormal S-motion so that it cleared the ground but remained at a low enough angle to come up quickly from below and with one decisive blow to the chin, the heavy brass ball on the handle end of the weapon dropped the boy like a sack of wheat. Gracefully sidestepping the falling boy, she never stopped smiling pleasantly and the crowd burst into thrilled cheering, chanting her name over and over again. This so totally caught the attention of the advisor, he commanded his scribe to write a note in the books concerning it. Giving a nodding eye toward the chief guard, the guard sneered and snorted, and with an angry swiping action lurched into a heavy deliberate gait toward the ring. Rastia looked on placidly but her two young friends cringed in terrified anticipation as the armored giant of a man clomped heavily into the ring. With a very pronounced growl and a piercing glare, the man exaggeratedly unsheathed his blade for emphasis and then with his blade back to his own throat he made a drawing action as if to indicate cutting a head off.

Rastia never even blinked but kept her calm smiling composure. As the circle master made the chopping motion, the guard who had seen the boy so easily dropped carefully began circling the ring, blade bent in a crane stance and cross stepping carefully for balance and maximum reaction options. Rastia slowly twirled her blade in a calculated move that would appear to have left her wide open for just his form of attack. Seeing the apparent opening, the guard snaked his blade forth to the seeming opening only to find her not there. Stepping INWARD instead of outward, she crossed beyond the intended intersection point the guard had imagined and came up fully behind him using her inertia and that of the first slow twirling to bring the blade around in a french curve arc which came up directly under the bell of his helmet, knocking it forward over his face. Even though the blow was by no means a decisive blow, she knew she had to strip him of armor before she would ever hope to land a non-lethal blow that had any useful effect. The first reaction to this was that the guard reflexively dove forward to get his enemy out from behind him, doing a somersault across the ring to the other edge barely landing inside the ring, and spinning to face her while using his spare hand to manage his helmet which was across his eyes. Using this time to her advantage, Rastia swept in from the side, striking his undefended leg at the knee, which although again not a critical strike did delay him from his goal of putting his helmet on correctly. Seeing that she could and would strike harrying blows to him while he was blinded and preoccupied with the helmet, he rashly made the bad decision to yank the helmet off and throw it down. This was exactly what she had been hoping for. This meant his head was now undefended and she would eventually lay a decisive blow and win. But it was by no means so easy because he too now had a wider angle of vision and could turn his head more quickly, so what he lost in defense, he nearly made up for in increased agility. This meant she would have to be even faster on the strike because he could see and evade much more readily. With his blade swirling through the air like a wind storm, she often had to parry repeated blows which would land nearby her body and she was forced to spin a lot to deflect, which didn't bode well for her sense of balance. The guard was detecting her wobbliness on her feet and was looking for just such an opening as would naturally happen when one begins to fall and foolishly tries to recover instead of following

through. Instead of waiting, Rastia too the initiative and feinted a stumbling fall where her legs were crossed under her and her left hand went toward the ground in anticipation of impact which left her seemingly teetering helplessly in a defenseless position. As the guard's eyes widened in anticipation and he swung high overhead, Rastia too that heartbeat of time to reposition herself with a full spin that brought all of her weight through the length of the glavie which meant it delivered maximum power to his braced legs at the ankles. Since he was pushing his blade down, the mechanics of it naturally took weight off of his heels. Compounded with the rotational effort involved in bringing the upper body forward, this applied additional lifting force in the opposite direction to the lower half of his body, which she merely helped along with the force of the thick metal blade along at his Achilles tendons. Very few people ever train to deal with this kind of a blow and as a result, knees often easily buckle from just this type of impact while the toes seem t spring up all on their own, lending to an impressive and totally unexpected back flip. Before the guard knew what had happened, his feet were in the process of overtaking his arms and he was in a ball, rolling backward toward the ground. His blade bounded out of his hands and flew forward in the afternoon sun toward the crowd in a tumbling motion the opposite of his own. Before his head met the ground however, the other half of the glavie with that stunning brass ball had made its way around to meet the same location in space and time, landing squarely on the brow of the big bald man mere moments before the back of his head landed firmly on the ground. As his body folded up on its self, all of the air in his lungs was expelled in a sleepy grunt and he recoiled feet upwards before slumping to one side unconscious. The crowd first gasped in disbelief and then cheered in wild applause. With all the pride of the champion she was, in elation she thrust her glavie high overhead and beamed proudly. Her two friends rushed up on her dragging her to the ground giggling and kissing her face. The advisor ordered a note be entered into his log book once more and directed the second in command to retrieve the unconscious chief.

It was 2 weeks later when the royal escort arrived. You have a royal visitor! her mother exclaimed in excitement. I do?! she replied in amazement.

A tall man with a long robe came in the house and 2 royal guards followed. One was wearing a bandage across his forehead and glared at Rastia fiercely. Dressed in her common clothes and completely unarmed, she smiled back timidly. Is this the young soldier Rastia Tennit? the man calmly required. It is my lord, her mother very respectfully replied. Rastia Tennit: he began in full formal manner, You have hereby been summoned to service of the Queen of Ethelibaile and shall depart at once. The entire family gasped. You have one hour to gather your belongings, but be mindful, this is a probationary position and you will have little free time and little space to your self, so be careful what you bring because it may be confiscated if it does not meet regulations. I-I-I-I- only have my armor and weapon my lord! she replied in total wonderment and excitement. The rest of this is of no use to me and shall be passed along to my siblings. Even the escort was amazed and momentarily his eyes showed it before snapping back into his formal image of perfect self control. So be it then. Be ready as soon as possible. Yes my lord! she exclaimed and saluted, before dashing into her room and rapidly changing into her armor and wrapping up a few changes of under garments into a sheet. In mere minutes she returned with the sheet tied to her glavie and fully latched and buckled with additional weapons secured to her person. Again, a slight raising of the eyebrows gave the barest hint to the astonishment the escort had for Rastia's spartan efficiency and enthusiasm. We ride then! he announced and spun on his heel. Be well Rastia and serve the Queen well! her mother cooed with pride and adoration. I shall mother! she beamed and saluted. Her little brothers and sisters all cheered from the windows as she and the rest of the detachment rode off in the rain. Sitting bolt upright in the saddle like an experienced equestrian, she looked back one time and waved and smiled brightly.

Episode 2 Who's That Girl? The ride to the capital was a long and Rastia had saddle sores because she had never ridden before and her behind was not accustomed to the torture prolonged riding could provide. Still she maintained face as they neared the city, inside dreaming of a hot steaming bath but outside looking straight ahead. After all, soldiers were meant to face hardships! she steeled herself. The city was splendorous compared to any places she had ever been to before and as they crossed the great carved stone bridge with beautiful paper lanterns all waving in the breeze, people bustling here and there yet mindful and courteous, and careful to step aside for the escort, bowing and chest saluting as they paused, she had to refrain a sense of awe and wonder. Soldiers maintain a calm demeanor she admonished her self sternly. As they crossed the massive double hinging draw bridge, she noticed that it had the ingenious design to be such that if not properly operated, it would literally fall apart into the moat and be useless for anything. Both sides parted in the middle and the side closest to the city served as a barricade to absorb the assault of rocks that might be hurled at the main gate, while the side away from the city rested in two long iron channels and was lined with grease to allow the gate planks to simply fall into the water if the gate was tipped perfectly vertical. The thick brass plated iron chains that elevated this second gate were high above the reach of an enemy and were naturally rust, fire and sword proof. The highly ingenious mechanism made the act of lowering the gate back once it had been tipped beyond the critical point a completely futile action. They passed over the heavy wooden bridge and came to the guard house at the threshold of the city, but instead of crossing through the throng of people in que to enter and leave the city walls, they diverted along a much narrower side road which was basically an extension of the main bridge but turning right, along the wall of the city and remaining over the moat. Six burly guards parted to let the four of their party through, all of them bowing and saluting. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that one of them was a rather large and slightly pudgy looking woman who also out of the corner of her eye casually regarded Rastia. So women really do get to serve in full capacity here! she exalted to her self, then followed with Keep calm now, this is just part of your duties... The narrow path took them a good ten minutes distance from the bridge then turned into a recess in the city wall where it widened out just a little because the walkway was another draw bridge which would also disintegrate if drawn to its vertical position, trapping any soldiers who could not swim or board a floating vessel with no place to hide from overhead parapets and wall archer slots. As they crossed this bridge, they were surrounded by ten guards who all took a resting alert position while documents were exchanged.

In a matter of a few seconds the guardhouse captain merely nodded as if to herself and the guards fall back quietly as if suddenly they weighed nothing. Wow! she mused, Such professionalism! Passing into the wall through heavy hammered iron doors, they entered a dark and cool hallway in the wall, and the iron shoes of the horses hooves made a hollow sound like the dropping of a single piece of bamboo in a rhythmically timed dance. Along these walls and ceiling were many levels of archer slots. The only light inside was that of oil lanterns which could also be turned into weapons simply by tipping them onto an enemy setting the entire hallway ablaze. In the distance [for the wall was very thick indeed!] she saw another gate of iron and guards standing ready in an instant to slam them shut if called to do so. As they passed beyond this back into the sunlight, she squinted a bit until her eyes readjusted. There they were in a section normal citizens would never have access to. There were soldiers in ranks practicing martial arts, there were archers further to her right practicing on mannequins, and there were carts here and there filled with supplies as well as an occasional pair or trio of field soldiers in the same type of armor as Rastia wore, walking and talking as they were en route to some other location. This open space ended at a highly ornate brass door where the party dismounted. Finding her legs a bit wobbly, she held onto her saddle for a moment to regain her composure. The chief guard smirked as if to say, Right now I could take you... to which she simply smiled back as if to say, I dare you! The guard snorted angrily and spun toward the gate demanding by his actions that she hurry up and get where she belonged. Using her glavie as a staff, she lurched forward and caught up to the party so as to not appear weak or slothful. As the escort exchanged more papers with another guard, this new guard eyed Rastia in a manner she definitely did NOT like! It was how a man might eye a prize horse or perhaps how men eyed women in...Oh no! she gasped within her self at the thought, Not that! No! Never!. But the man then seemed to take on an amused expression and with a soft chuckle let the party pass. She was unsure which was worse: being wanted or being dismissed, but she had to refrain from glaring at him. Even so, she had venom in her eyes for him as she passed with a cold sideways glance. She could hear him snort with amusement at her as she passed along the hall. This anger gave her enough strength to hold herself higher despite road weariness as she stalked

proudly into the palace shouldering her glavie again in her typical causal manner. As they wound through a maze of corridors, they passed the bath house for men, then the bath house for women, and the kitchen, the dining hall, the library, and finally the guard quarters. Your space is here for the time being. the escort instructed, A house servant will assist you in becoming familiar with the palace and your required duties will be managed by Captain Foutan here, indicating the chief guard she had beaten. They eyed each other. He with a look of a leering predator, she of cornered but belligerent prey. You two had best get along well together, the escort said calmly over his shoulder, The advisor informed me of your history... in a slightly threatening tone. They looked at him then back at each other then mutually harrumphed each other in scowling disdain. You have duty at midnight. he finally grumbled, I hope you get caught sleeping so I can have you sent back to that backwater shack town you came from! he uttered in a low growl. I am a soldier of the house of Ksiitan and we NEVER sleep on duty! I will NOT lose! she growled back, leaning toward the lager taller man who leaned right back and growled in response. Excuse me, came a sweet soft polite girly voice which surprised them both, making them spring bolt upright and chuckle nervously,I am Hino Kinasawa and I'm here to show you around Ksiitan-san! They both blushed and Captain Foutan nervously chuckled, Why of course Miss Kinasawa! as he carefully side stepped the kimono clad lady and hastily exited the room. Don't forget to report to my office at midnight! he said loudly from down the hall acting so extremely polite it was obvious to Rastia that it was all a show for the sake of Miss Kinasawa. Yes, she replied in a semi-polite, semi-annoyed tone. So then, the long haired beauty in the midnight blue embroidered kimono continued, Shall I show you around? Yes! Rastia responded with more enthusiasm.

Later that afternoon Rastia settled into the steaming hot bath as women came and went. The large woman guard had come off of her shift and came into the bath in her towel, a very large bun of hair pinned up behind her. As her ample body entered, it was clear that she was not your common woman!

At nearly 2 meters tall and possibly three times Rastia's weight, she was more than amply padded! From the slightly pudgy face, to the fleshy arms, to the buxom bosom, to the flabby tummy, to the thick thighs, to the stocky calves, this lady was big all the way from top to bottom! As she entered the room, some of the guards eyed her warily but two medium built guards got up and walked to the edge of the pool and offered a hand to each side to help stabilize her as she stepped in. As her towel slipped off, the size of her bosoms became even more evident! Each one was easily the size of a small child! Compared to this woman, Rastia was a twig standing beside a mighty oak! An oak with a very large canopy! As the smiled graciously and followed them into the pool, the three of them maintained hand hold and proceeded to a large rock-like fountain which was actually the calcium buildup of the hot mineral spring. The water was hottest here and some people preferred this extra hot to relax their muscles. Rastia had kept just a little away from it because it was just too hot for her liking. She tried not to listen in, but giggling came from the trio of women, and even though she was not trying to stare, she saw the two smaller women massaging the larger woman's breasts while her massive arms surrounded each one holding them close and she purred like a mountain tiger after a fresh kill. Rastia liked girls, but until now, other than kissing them, she had no experiences with love at all. She couldn't help but blush and her heart raced and she was torn between politeness and the desire to see more. In a few moments she realized that although each smaller woman had a hand on the big woman's breasts, their other hands some place under the water must also be touching the giantess! She was also blushing now and breathing heavily as the two smaller women seemed to be reaching some place....where.... The three women were having SEX! RIGHT THERE in front of everybody! Rastia involuntarily gasped out loud. Most of the women in the bath turned to her with varying looks from contempts to amusement to adoration and even surprise. Rastia's face was bright red and she looked around in some little bit of uncertainty.

A strong looking muscular woman of equal height to the giantess but with a much more tawny athletic figure rose from a nearby bench and came to the water fully naked, and proceeded to enter the water directly toward Rastia. Is this the one you were talking about Sai? she said purring demurely like a large pleased cat. The giantess looked in between gasping in pleasure and smiled affirmatively. My, my, my... the athletic amazon purred, You sure know how to spot them sister... Sister? Rastia thought to her self amazed, then quickly comparing their features, it became clear that if 'Sai' had been slender, they might in fact be identical twins! Ummm... she began hesitantly while backing away from the amazonian woman. What? she purred, pressing the advance like stalking her prey, You never been with a woman before, soldier girl? she had a mirthful playful tone indicating she saw Rastia's virginity as both cute and very exciting. Sure I have! she blurted out defensively, Just ummmm...uhhh... looking around for the exit, it seemed a lot of women were now coming into the pool and closing around her and the amazon. What? she continued, Your little sister perhaps? No! she replied back forcefully,I have a girlfriend! its PARTLY true, but only they were by no means lovers... Oh? the woman continued, And she's a soldier too? came the calculated query... Uhhh...uhhh she was trapped! How did this woman know? Did her fame spread so far so fast? How could she get out of this one? That doesn't matter! she blurted out, looking for any excuse. I...think...you're...ly-in-g came a melodic playful tone...I think you've never to-u-ch-ed a gi-rl lifting her fingers in an odd way as if contemplating if to reach out and touch an object or not, then slowly turning her fingers toward her lips and licking her finger tips... Just when it looked as if she was in serious trouble however, a melodic voice crossed the room as if it were everywhere at once, I see you have met our poorly behaved Katamani Twins miss Ksiitan. The amazon woman gasped and spun, lost her balance and plunked into the water, coming back up with a second gasp, coughing and sputtering water. My my my, Sen, you do seem to be up to mischief again, don't you? Miss Kinasawa declared. I was...just... she stammered...

Welcoming the new girl? Miss Kinasawa mockingly in finished in a playful tone...For shame, for shame! Its not what it looks like! she pleaded painfully groveling, face to the water. I'm sure it never is... Miss Kinasawa said in a faux dismissive tone. I'm sure it never is... Its time for your fitting Miss Ksiitan, she extended her dainty hand gracefully, If you will please come with me... Yes ma-am! she eagerly replied while lurching through the water to the edge of the bath and leaping out in a double somersault, spraying water on everybody nearby. Squeals of displeasure from the various women were followed by soft, mirthful, melodic laughter from Miss Kinasawa. Picking up her robe and slipping into it, Rastia eagerly followed Miss Kinasawa out of the bath house and away from the depraved Katamani Twins!

As the evening meal was served in the dining hall, all eyes were on Rastia. She felt very uncomfortable. Both men and women were eying her now. It seemed that here where it should have been the most disciplined and regimented with honor and loyalty, there was the worst laxness and lowest levels of moral demeanor she had ever seen! It began to make her wonder if this was such a wonderful place to be after all! But she would NEVER lose! No matter what it took, she was going to stay with this prestigious post and uphold her family's name in honor!... Even if it meant being molsted by the Katamani Twins... (then looking around the room at the leering eyes of various men...)...There are WORSE things that could happen to a girl... she reassured herself warily. Eating quickly so as to get out of the room and back to her room as fast as possible, she inadvertently got the hiccups. To add to this, it seemed to endear her as cute in the eyes of Sen who quickly used this as occasion to once again approach Rastia! There-there... she said playfully, Eating too quickly are we? as she slid up from behind. Pretending not to notice her, Rastia continued to wolf down her food despite the hiccups, but in the process spewed rice out her nostrils which made everybody in the room burst out laughing. Totally humiliated and already wary of the whole lot of them, she rose to go when Sen pressed her back down firmly with one hand while reaching with a napkin to wipe her face with the other... No, no, no, no, no! she said in a mock reproving tone, We mustn't leave the table all messy

like that! Leave me alone! Rastia mumbled through the napkin while struggling with the far stronger woman. Aww...such a messy baby! she cooed, Let me help you with that... Rastia realized that up was not an option, so judging by her relative size and location, she took the one route she knew would work and slipped DOWN. As she slid between the bench and the table, the older woman tumbled forward and bumper her head on the tray and flipped its contents up and over onto herself. Oof! she exclaimed in surprise, then realizing Rastia was no longer in her grasp, Huh? came from her, and then as her mind cleared enough to see what a mess she was and that everybody was now laughing at her, she ended by bellowing, Heyyyyyyy!!! By this time Rastia was up on her feet scurrying to the door. As Sen tried to make chase, she slipped in the soup on the floor and landed face first in the same place she stood a second before. Rastia didn't look back but dashed out the door and almost knocked Miss Kinasawa over. I was wondering if you were having any problems, so I came to see if you were doing ok, Miss Kinasawa began, but Rastia's hiccup stopped her from saying more for a second. The roars of laughter from the dining hall caught her attention as well. I think some form of discipline may be in order for those two... she muttered under her breath. Then, turning back to Rastia with the brightest smile, she added, Come along Miss Ksiitan, I can fix those hiccups for you right away! Again, relieved to be saved from the Katamani Twin Sen, she gladly followed!

With a few hours to rest before guard duty, Rastia, now relieved of her hiccups, took time to take a little nap before her first shift began. When she entered her room, her brand new guard armor was already waiting on a small table for her! It has the gloss of fresh leather and the smell of bee's wax and was black as ink with the polished brass studs of a junior guard. She couldn't WAIT to put it on! Slipping into the light but strong leather and iron armor, she looked at herself in the polished copper mirror and admired her new look! The one thing about the head gear however, was that she could not wear her pigtails while wearing the helmet, so sadly, she had to take them down to put on the helmet.

Just to see how comfortable it really was, she lay down in the armor on her bed. In seconds, she was fast asleep.

The creaking of her door made her lurch awake. There in the room stood Miss Kinasawa leaning over the table setting out supplies including writing paper, an ink box, brushes, a canteen, wax and cloths, a small medicine pack and a water canteen. Thank you Miss Kinasawa, Rastia said gratefully as she realized who it was. Oh, its nothing! she said humbly and dismissively, Its my job! Still, she repeated more slowly, Thank you. You're so very welcome! she beamed brightly, Now don't be late for your shift! See you! and she left out of the room. This may not turn out to be so bad after all! she mused to herself feeling suddenly happy again. With that, she snuffed out the lamp in her room and with glavie in hand, swords and daggers all strapped around her, she enthusiastically strolled to her post, whistling merrily as she went. Episode 3 Of No Small Importance! It was a rather boring uneventful post, but that never dampened Ristia's spirits in the least. She would spend every moment of her watch analyzing every breath, every motion, every weapon, every loose plank on a passing cart for signs of imminent threat and made mental notes or even passed them along to the officer at post. Be it cold and raining, hot and dusty, driving snow, she had already made herself ready for it in her first 14 years of life as a soldier. She was made for hardships, it was her life. It was just because of such a seemingly minor detail that she noted, that she was to find herself in a whole new situation. As she came alongside a traveling entertainment troupe, she had the presence of mind to look into the coach at the peculiar angle of eying it level with the floor.

As she crouched and peered across the floor, it became evident to her that the floor was abnormally shaped and therefore unusually thick in the middle. She quietly motioned to the officer who came over and she motioned to look across the floor. Now today, one of her antagonists just happened to be in her detach and had been eying her menacingly all day long, but today the woman was called in for a purpose. Sai Katamani had talents people didn't know about, such as feeling hidden objects. As the huge woman came nearby and was silently appraised of the situation, she bowed, then began a ritualistic arm movement which culminated in her eliciting an inherited family power to detect hidden objects through walls and other barriers. As her left hand and left eye began to glow golden, the passengers in the carriage became very nervous. Sai slowly reached into the cabin of the coach and as she did, a circle of the odd shaped floor seemingly became nothing but glowing golden light which could be seen through. There for everybody to see was a collection of darts, daggers, bombs, and a vial of poison. Without waiting for command, Rastia leaped over Sai into the cabin and with a single motion thrust the butt of her glavie through the sidewall of the coach, sending finely crafted wooden splinters flying, and so pinned all three passengers back into their seat. In another second, Sai smashed her hand through the false floor and with a growl pulled out the vial of poison, glaring at the daintily clad but obviously well trained assassins. We don't know anything about- the began but Rastia shoved her foot down across the haft of her weapon crushing them back into their seat tightly as she detected hands moving to take actions which would not be in hers or Sai's best interest. By this time the entire troupe was surrounded and other guards were already being summoned.

At the review, Rastia caught her first ever glimpse of the Queen. Although she wore garish makeup and gaudy clothing, her eyes could still be seen, as could the peculiar shape of her face. It was all Rastia could do to maintain her composure. Ohhhhhh!!! she sighed to herself, something in that face just called to her! The queen was not a young woman, nor was she particularly kindly intentioned, nor soft of speech or polite of demeanor. She was wise, shrewd, cold, cunning and slightly (albeit justifiably) paranoid.

She wore a hard, stern face, she drilled through people with her eyes, peering into their souls. She sat at her throne during the proceedings as the advisor whom she had first met sat nearby on a much less regal but fairly posh chair, his smooth bald head, wispy white fumanchu draping to his belt. As the troupe was brought forth, along with the weapons of their trade, they all stood in silence, with ice cold stares on their faces. Rastia stood on one side of their leader with her glavie gripped tightly in one hand and their left elbow in her right hand, while Sai stood to the opposite side with a katana in her right hand and a firm grip like Rastia had using her left. The man in her grasp seethed with hate. It was clear he hated the queen and wanted her dead and had come for only this purpose. When it was time to allow him to say anything in his defense, he had the gall to merely spit toward the queen. Fury welled up in Rastia and the queen saw this, but with nothing more than the slightest motion of her ring studded index finger, she motioned off the girl. It is the judgment of I, Queen Schiina Dao Xin the third that these people be escorted back to their homeland and there be publicly displayed in stocks for the period of seven months, seven days and seven hours then released. The audience gasped in amazement, expecting them to be sentenced to death. Loud murmuring erupted from the audience of nobles. The queen has spoken, the advisor rose with his hands in a quieting gesture, so it shall be done. As other guards came to carry away the prisoners, the queen motioned toward Sai and Rastia. I am pleased with your service today. she leaned toward the advisor and he handed over a small book Rastia had seen his scribe carrying before, It seems that both of you are extremely gifted ladies,. as she read in the book, occasionally she would lean over and whisper something to the advisor and he would whisper back, and this went on for a few minutes, making it as if they were both on trial as the previous people had been. Sai glanced at Rastia, but strangely, she looked suddenly more like a nervously hopeful teenager than a hardened soldier. Rastia almost glanced back but didn't want to look away from the queen. I am hereby elevating you both by one rank from your present positions. she finally decreed, handing the ledger back to the advisor, Tonight there shall be a banquet held in honor of your fine service. With that, the two knelt and bowed in salute to their queen. And now I shall hear of the manner of the shortages in the Pan district.

With that, Sai glanced over at Rastia and eyed the exit with a little nod of the head. The two rose in unison and spun on their heels dismissing themselves to their normal duties.

At bath time, Sai was in a heated but muted conversation with Sen. When Rastia came in, she was apprehensive, but the women seemed to be ignoring her as she came in. Still she kept to the side of the pool closest to the exit. Finally after some extended hushed conversation Sen turned and came toward Rastia. Rastia was already nervous just being here, but now here came Sen again. Only this time, she looked a lot more subdued and had bruises on her body. Apparently she had indeed been disciplined over the affair of the other day. I came to apologize the amazon began. I don't need an apology. Rastia replied casually, trying to not appear nervous, I just care to be left alone to my self to live my own life as I so please. I shall respect your wishes from now on. she humbly replied bowing before the younger girl. As she bowed, Rastia could see more than mere bruises, this woman had been flogged until blood flowed. It was no wonder people feared Miss Kinasawa! Now Rastia felt sorry for the woman. I forgive you... she began, but then not wanting to lose face or ground before the older woman, she added, this time. But don't ever let it happen again. I swear it shall never happen again. she responded humbly. Now stop bowing to me. It makes me feel uncomfortable as a soldier. Sen slowly rose up with a look of relief on her face. Thank you. and with that she turned and went back into her corner, the healing wounds on her back showing the first signs of scarring from behind her long wet strands of hair.

That night, she was invited to the queen's banquet room. Miss Kinasawa provided for her a kimono and other adornment since she had only brought what she needed to be a soldier. Rastia had never before worn makup, it was both amazing to look on herself in the mirror but also it made her seem self conscious as well. There were dignitaries galore, both men and women dressed in finery, the food was amazing and there was a dance as well. The queen was dressed differently tonight, less makeup, less gaudy clothing, and a more relaxed demeanor. Sai was also looking unusually feminine tonight, she actually had makeup on, but not heavily, and she wore a silk kimono which barely concealed her amply bosoms simply because of their size. Both were seated facing each other ten seats away from the queen, which was a very high honor, especially for a common soldier! Both were asked to dance by princes of various noble families even though there were customs which would not permit anything more than that. For her size, Sai was amazingly graceful in dance, whereas Rastia was both nervous because of the setting but also because she was dancing with a man which she did not enjoy at all. After the third dance, Rastia was truly wanting to leave. She sat back at her place at the table looking miserable and poking at her fried rice when the queen looked over and asked, You are not one for such occasions I see...? Its... she was at loss as hot to speak politely to the queen and she blushed brightly, Its complicated my queen... looking down at the floor beneath her wilted. To her amazement, the queen rose and slid her throne over a little bit and said to a servant, bring the young warrior's chair over here. Rastia gasped in surprise but complied without hesitation. So, the queen said in a softer tone, I hear great things about you from my advisor Kip, she began, gazing calmly into the young girl's eyes measuringly. Such power...such grace...such control... Rastia mused in fascination to her self before replying nervously with a gulp, You do? His report made mention of how you challenged and easily defeated my chef of palace security after defeating many other opponents in the same day... Well...ummmm... she began humbly but trying to reduce the situation in importance.

That's no small feat young lady, and I value such valor! You do? her eyes widened, then she caught herself, Of course you do! she laughed nervously. The queen leaned closer, I want you... Rastia began to reel back in alarm...You do...??? ...to be a palace guard. ...oh...sure!...I mean...Yes my queen! she stammered embarrassed. It is settled then! the queen declared calmly but with a slight hint of what might be seen as joviality in her tone, You begin tomorrow! Yes my queen! Rastia responded enthusiastically. Now, I must retire to my chambers, you get plenty of rest. You will not be standing on one location like you have been for the past week as a sentry. You will be following my every step every place I go. This is a duty which is of no small importance as you already know. Yes my queen! came an even more enthusiastic response. Rastia disliked stationary posts because it was so terribly boring. With that Queen Schiina rose and with smooth graceful stride paced through a small door while other guards and attendants followed in her wake or strode before her to make sure the path was clear and safe. As Rastia looked on, Miss Kinasawa seemed to appear out of nowhere beside her, calling her name, Miss Ksiitan, she was saying, Huh? Rastia snapped out of her momentary reverie, Yes Miss Kinasawa? Would you care to join me in a dance? This was the first woman to invite her to dance all night long, but soon afterward, it was obvious she danced gracefully only when dancing with women and the men got a clue and left her alone, while a few of the women got up the courage to ask to dance with her. It seemed that having the attention of the queen and the makeup combined led to her being a favorite amongst the nobility quite quickly!

Dear mama and papa, she wrote, It have been here only a week and I have already been promoted! I had a banquet in my honor at the queen's decree and she made me part of her own personal guard! I am so ecstatic! I hope to bring honor to the family name and make you both so proud! Say hello to my dear friends Dee and Shimnimm! Love, Rastia Sealing the letter with a ribbon and some wax, she snuffed out the lamp and in the dark undressed before climbing into bed and drifting off to sleep

Episode 4 My Food For My Queen! Rastia was awake early, ate breakfast before the morning rush and reported to her new station early. Captain Foutan was glum to see his nemesis had not only not been sent away but had been promoted quite rapidly. On top of that, having a banquet in her honor rankled him to no end. I see you have lucked out and escaped banishment... he said with an air of detachment. I see you share the same luck, she said in spunky defiance. He growled, and she growled back, but as if by magic, Miss Kinasawa slipped into the room just in the nick of time and declared how wonderful Rastia's new promotion was and, Aren't you so proud to have her on your personal detachment Captain Foutan...? Yes Miss Kinasawa, he replied glumly through clenched teeth while forcing a fake smile. I'm so glad you appreciate her loyalty, dedication and talent! Miss Kinasawa cooed in delight, It would be such a shame to see this working relationship come to an embarrassing conclusion! Yes Miss Kinasawa, the captain replied with a very strained smile, I understand completely! Good. then turning to Rastia,Do be a dear and try to get along with the Captain, hmmm? Yes Miss Kinasawa! she snapped a salute, in a mixture of enthusiasm, fear and respect. Take good care of her then Captain, I know I can depend on you... she said over her shoulder, head slightly tilted as she gracefully flowed out of the room, hem swirling slightly with the swift smooth motion of her body.

As the detachment arrived at the Queen's private chamber entrance, she and two lady servants exited as if on cue. The advisor, with two guards of his own arrived only seconds later. Here are the reports you asked for my queen, he bowed and extended forth the ledgers in both hands as an offering for her to read. As she took hold of the ledger and flipped through it, she made sounds of varying notes and would vary from frowning to a soft smile depending on whatever she was reading in the ledgers. Hmmmm... she frowned at last, handing back the ledger, It seems the people are unhappy. Well my queen, it seems they believe they are being taxed too heavily and they say they are going hungry. And what do you say Kip? she eyed him closely, Am I laying too heavy of a burden on the people? Oh no my queen! he replied smoothly, You are perfectly within your rights to exact as much as you with from your own lands! Rastia was so moved by the conversation she was inspired to speak. My queen, she began while bowing all the way to the floor. Everybody except the queen looked aghast at the young girl's sudden abnormal behavior. What is it Rastia? she merely replied coolly. I am willing to give up my rations and live on only bread and water if it will help the queen to rule her land in perfect equity and fairness! she declared in an emotionally filled quavering voice. That is such a noble gesture of you to offer. I am your humble servant a mere soldier my queen... she persisted. More humble and devoted than my advisor Kip? she asked, but turning her eyes sideways toward the old man. He suddenly dropped to the ground in like fashion for lack of any response and fearing what he might discover if he remained speaking in the tone he carried moments before, I too am your loyal servant my queen! he groveled, Most certainly if this child can eat bread and water for you, I too shall do likewise! Hmmmmmm.. the queen stroked her chin delicately with one index finger, looking back and forth between the two casually and regarding the situation.

Then it is a challenge!: she declared mirthfully, Which of you two is most loyal; my long time personal advisor, or this tender young girl of only 14 years...which shall it be who wins and proves their loyalty first? Captain Foutan was about to raise his voice to object when the queen pierced through him with an ice cold look that made his mouth quickly clamp shut. So have it decreed this day: Rastia versus Kip in a bread and water fast. Which one shall break first? the mirth in her voice was not reflected in her eyes, but it was clear she took delight in the situation and the advisor turned one eye to glare at the still fact down Rastia who never stopped staring at the floor below her nose. Yes my queen! the both responded. Then arise now... she concluded, I have ruling to attend to!

That day at the noon meal, as the guards stood and observed the queen eating, it was clear the advisor was not enjoying himself. As he chewed on the simple rice cake and sipped the plain water, he was looking quite glum. The queen was listening to a visitor from another country speaking about trading various fruits and vegetables as well as fresh fish, and the advisor was just gnashing his teeth while Rastia stood placidly by, bright eyed and with a little bit of a smile on her face, glavie tightly clutched to her chest, doing her best to mimic a statue. As the advisor looked around greedily at the various exquisite dishes laid out on the table, trying to pretend to be satisfied with the plain tasteless rice cake, he secretly cursed the young girl who seemed to be perfectly content to know she was not going to eat anything different. He set forth a plan to trip the girl up. He would make sure she was offered all kinds of delights when her meal time came and have spies in place to let him know when she failed and gave in to temptation. Surely, he thought to himself, No young undisciplined female is going to hold out for long against their natural cravings for delicacies! This went on day after day. The advisor looking more and more miserable and clearly losing weight, while the young Rastia remained bright and cheerful as ever. She would not only take her rice cakes and water back to her room to eat, but she made sure to eat with the door open and had taken to talking to Sai and Sen about life in the palace and even romance and other topics of interest to women of their social class.

Kip's spies often heard lurid takes of lust and debauchery that made them too embarrassed to repeat! It seemed that both women had been with lovers of both sexes and in manners seldom spoken about and in places considered by many as unthinkable. They had both given birth to illegitimate children and had no qualms about it. They simply left those children in the care of orphanages and went on with their daily lives. They were indeed as bad as their reputations would lead one to believe, yet they were still loyal to the queen and their duties when they wore their uniforms. Now Rastia may not have approved of their ways, but it did not prevent her from choosing them as the perfect witnesses to her daily meals, as well as it helped her to pay less attention to the lack of flavor and variety in her diet. As the days went into weeks, the queen noticed not only that the advisor's moods would swing wildly, but that on occasion he seemed to have the odors of food on him where rice cakes would leave no such odors. Therefore, suspecting him of cheating on the deal, she sent forth spies to search him out. Sure enough, one night Miss Kinasawa happened to be passing by a messenger who was well known to the palace and she stopped him to ask his business. I have a package for Senior Advisor Kip, Miss Kinasawa, he said without suspecting anything. I would like to take a look at what you are delivering him, she said sweetly. But its- he began, but she had already deftly snatched the box from his hand and was pulling off the wrapping paper. M-m-m-iss Kina- but before he could get it all out, there showed the contents of the package: dried pork, shrimp, a cup of cream, dried spices, rice and other foods made into compact form so they would not appear so large as a fully cooked meal. -huh..? he stared in disbelief, I'm delivering MEALS??? Miss Kinasawa merely looked at him with an expectant stare... His face turned beet red. I am not a take out delivery boy! he screamed, I am a highly respected royal messenger! This is humiliating! I will never live this down! he wailed in dismay, pulling at his hair. That's it... she spake sweetly, I see the challenge is officially over. snapping her fingers, guards from down the hallway clumped up eager to see why they had been called and what the commotion was. Please take this gentleman and this package to the queen immediately. she casually passed off the box of dried food to the guard nearest her.

Yes Miss Kinasawa! they replied in unison and eagerly clumped off toward the queen's chamber with the evidence of Kip's deception.

Well well well... she said as she coldly circled the two of them. It was deep in the night and Rastia had been summoned before the queen along with Advisor Kip. Nothing else had been told her. What have you to say for yourself? she stopped and peered coldly at Kip. I'm sorry! he wailed, I am but a weak old man! Please forgive me! he sobbed far too enthusiastically. And you little lady? she raised herself up pushing out her royal chest (which was usually difficult to notice for the immense costume like outfits she tended to wear which disguised her figure even now) until it began to become evident to Rastia that the queen was not as poorly endowed as one might first think! My queen... she was at a loss for words, what can I say? she didn't even know exactly what had transpired at this moment so she merely stood at attention trying to keep her gaze on the queen's eyes and not on the ample bosom a few inches lower... You win! the queen's face suddenly brightened. I did? Rastia's eyes widened. Until this very moment, she had no idea why she had been called here at such a late hour. I won? she was amazed. But I didn't even really try! she protested. Such a charming young lady you are! the queen praised her softly. Then turning to the old man, and such an old weasel you are! she finished. That is all, she declared, The victory goes to Rastia. She has proven herself far more loyal to me than my own personal advisor. I'm honored- she humbly began. And because of your loyalty, I shall grant the people's request in your behalf! she declared, As of sunrise today, all taxes shall be reduced to half their present levels! And if we find it becomes a financial burden, then we'll simply have to sacrifice something here for the sake of the people. Rastia was so moved, her eyes filed with tears and a broad smile lit up her young face, Oh my queen! she exclaimed dropping to the floor on her knees and face to the ground in emotional reverence. Rise dear child, she responded, you need your rest. Tomorrow is a busy day! Then as Rastia was getting back to her feet, the queen produced a handkerchief with a gold border and handed it to her to dry her eyes with. Keep it...as a token of my gratitude for your loyalty.

Yes my queen! her eyes lit up in astonishment and elation. That is it everybody, she waved people away, but turning to Kip, who was trying to slip away unnoticed, except you. He froze, looking back over his shoulder in dread, jaw slack, shoulders hunched... For your little indiscretion, I command you thirty days bread and water! Teeth clenched and eyes squinted in agony, the old man wailed in despair, Yes my queen...... Now get out of here! You ruined my beautiful dream you old fool! Episode 5 To My Own Hurt! The reduction in taxation did much to win favor with the queen all across the land, however, some factions of dissident considered this merely a ploy to quell the inevitable uprising they had planned now for years. A very handsome young son of a very prominent vassal lord had grown disillusioned with the monarchy and the status quo and had gathered with several of his contemporaries in forming a tightly knit band of dissidents who slowly, behind the scenes indoctrinated unhappy peasants with the idea that the queen was hard and insensitive to their needs, excessively taxing them and needlessly forcing more and more of their young men into military service for the purposes of propping up her failed regime. This new and unexpected move of slashing the entire country's taxes did deal his opposition platform quite a hefty blow and many of his followers quickly dissolved back into the community as the nation as a whole rejoiced. Not one to be easily dissuaded once he had a goal, he met with his co-conspirators to determine how best to regain control and the support of the people. You see the people have left our just cause because the queen has spies amongst our ranks who sent back word of our intended uprising, and therefore, we can be sure that in time these temporary tax breaks will end and taxation will return with a vengeance. he lectured with a strong hint of suspicion in his voice, seeking to draw on the cynicism of his devout to support the fear and suspicion of duplicity in the queen's actions. But what can we do about it? a fellow dissident queried in doubt and misgivings. Coming over to the doubtful fellow and placing an arm around his shoulder while looking him in the eye, he declared smoothly, I....have a plan... As he then turned his eyes coolly with confidence toward the whole of the group, they all began to chuckle with a sense of malicious mischief...

Rastia was already in the habit of reporting on time to her new position, eagerly anticipating each day's new events and seeing the queen rule her country with grace and dignity. It has been brought to my attention by various lords of prefectures that there is a rumor going around that this reduction in taxes is but a political ploy to quell dissident factions who seem to have been using it as grounds for grassroots support for their cause to overthrow me, the queen addressed the panel in the parliamentary meeting hall, And as these witnesses here will attest, this decision was not made by the will of anybody here other than my self, based on the wise and uniquely gifted visionary words of one of my humble servants. Advisor Kip was for some reason anticipating receipt of praise for this turn of events, and was sucking in his pudgy chest in anticipation of hearing his voice... Advisor Kip, she began, and he was already with his acceptance speech when she continued, Isn't that right? Huh? he turned surprised that she used him as a voucher for the real person behind the turn of events and not himself, Oh-oh-oh-why y-y-y-y-es my queen! he stammered. Second Rank Rastia Ksiitan? she turned to the blushing 14 year old girl nervously clutching her glavie, who's knees were trembling at the thought of being mentioned in front of this many powerful representatives of the nation. Yes, my queen! she almost barked in her nervousness, I love my queen and I love my country! she rattled off as if in military drill, trying to keep her composure, feeling sweat trickle down her brow. This little one here took on my advisor in a challenge to see who could go the longest on but bread and water, that their rations would be redistributed to the poor here in the city. with a gentle but grandly sweeping hand for emphasis, And she won handily! suddenly turning a piercing eye at the advisor who wilted under her stare. I was so inspired by her loyalty and dedication I made the decree to cut the royal tax load in half on the spot and had it recorded for all the land to read by sunrise! There was a murmur amongst the lords and vassals at these words. Some were pleased and others were not. Amongst this group, the young vassal was sitting with his friends carefully observing the reactions of the various others, gaging just exactly who would play into their new scheme so they could be secretly approached later. Today's session was held specifically so I could in no uncertain terms clarify the situation, lest there be any continuing false rumors to the opposite. the queen concluded, I require all of you to sign the witness sheet on this.

More murmuring followed, but one by one they rose and stepped forward to sign. Vassal Pin Dao was not the only one observing their reactions, the queen, Rastia and Advisor Kip were observing as well. However, Advisor Kip had reasons incongruent with the queen.

The lords were quite displeased with the queen's decree... Ping purred to his group of dissidents, I see the roots of revolution spreading! and for emphasis he struck his palm with his fist with a look of mad delight. Positive sounding murmurs came from the group along with nodding and sly grins. We shall stir up the unhappy lords who made gain from skimming the heightened taxes and use them as pawns to their own hurt! Amused mumbling and chuckling chorused from the group. I have already composed a letter and all of you have copies of it to deliver to those we know are opposed to the reduced taxes and other letters for those who are sitting on the fence. More approving tones came from the group. Okay men, you know what has to be done, he concluded, Let us catch some tigers! They all chorused in cheers and began filing out of the building into the late night. In the bushes, one small girl, on a hunch, had tailed Ping to his clandestined meeting hall and had listened carefully to the speech. But knowing that her testimony alone would not suffice, she crept up to the window and with a fine knife blade made a small slit into the paper to peer in. Ping seemed alone in the room and there were a few papers on his desk. As the vassal sat happily humming to himself, she took careful aim with the heavy brass ball on the back of her glavie, and hurled it through the window like a spear, striking him on the back of the head. Knowing the glavie would land with a crash, she followed the glavie closely with her body in hopes to catch it before it landed. As the ball on the end of the shaft struck its mark, the man grunted and slumped forward. As she landed hand outstretched for the glavie however, her eyes caught something she missed before: two armed men had been sitting at a nearby table in a corner not visible from the window slit. As they leaped toward her, she had to roll to avoid them. In the sudden confusion, she fumbled her glavie and it flipped out of her hands and across the room.

These men were experienced fighters and wasted no time getting between the girl and her weapon. Now only armed with a dagger, she was at a disadvantage against the two men with katanas. Keeping with her training though, she determined to not let this disadvantage hinder her success. Dagger in hand, but without her normal armor, she was almost naked before the razor sharp swords. They leapt and lunged repeatedly, working as a team, allowing one to rest while the other blocked her path to the superior weapon. As she dodged and slashed, rolling and doing her best to close in on her glavie, she caught a laceration to the back of her thigh, a deep gash along her left arm, a cut in her ear and she almost lost her left pinkie finger. Finally, in desperation, she faked a lunge and spun to throw the dagger at the one who just stepped back to rest. Knowing he was tired and thinking she would be too preoccupied with the fresh fighter, his guard was down and he paid for it with his life as the dagger stuck into his neck and he dropped gagging on his own blood. This in turn caught the other man completely off guard and in that split second of shock at her move, she slid under him with a baseball slide and kicked him squarely in the groin lifting him completely off of the ground backwards. Before he could land, she grabbed his own blade spinning in the air and in a second twirl severed his head before t struck the floor so that it rolled away to the wall and the bloody stump oozed his blood over the floor, soon to be joined by the gushing blood from his chest as his body thrashed and pumped out its last. Not waiting to see the end results, she leapt for her dagger and glavie just in time as Ping awoke and screamed alarm, Its that queen's guard who ruined our plans! Get her! I want her dead! With the armed and bloodied girl dashing toward his desk weapons in hand, he fell backwards onto the floor in terror and watched helplessly as she scooped up a handful of papers and stuffed them hastily into her jerkin. A second later she was gone, leaping back through the window and into the darkness.

She could hear the men scrambling to find her in the darkness but she carefully led a twisted path both to and from the building, and before they could find her, she reached her mount where she transferred the papers into a saddlebag and then leapt onto the horse and wheeled into the night.

As they heard the sound of the horse's whinny in the dark they shouted for riders to pursue her. It was clear she would be heading back to the palace with the seized documents and they had to stop her. Archers leapt on horses and sped out of the compound in her general direction in hopes to bring her down and retrieve the criminal letters of treason. In between gaps of clouds, the three moons could occasionally be seen and it would suddenly go from bright to dim and it made riding difficult as one might miss the path and collide with something in the dark if not prepared. As she cleared a ravine and entered into an open plain, she knew she had the disadvantage because she was a wide open target for archers. But because she knew her armor would not help her in this case, she had deliberately given it up in exchange for the additional speed and stride her mount would have. As expected, she could hear arrows whistling nearby in the darkness and she deliberately wove a random path along the prairie to make their aim more difficult. It seemed to go on forever. The occasional arrow and the endless thumping of hooves along the ground. These men would follow at all costs because she held the key to their death sentences in the saddle bag. Just as it seemed she was far enough ahead of them to loose them, she found she had drifted far from the trail and came up abruptly on a ledge that dropped farther than she could safely leap the horse off of. Working to not panic, and only spitting out the word Shit! before wheeling to the east, she raced along the ravine while the men were quickly regaining on her. As it seemed there was no hope of escape however, she saw a daring outlet down the side of the hill in a brief flash of moonlight. She was nearly running head on into the men but at a bit of an angle as they were racing north and she was now racing southeast. As it seemed she was dead in the sights of the archer and sure to be felled however, she suddenly spun to her left and cascaded out of sight over the edge. As they came up short to see where she may have landed, she had taken advantage of the incline and their hesitation in reorienting themselves to regain a speed and distance advantage on them. Even though they decided to pursue down the steep slope, they lacked the daring and drive she had and failed to make as good of time on the incline, rather trying to keep their balance and not tumble over the sides to their death.

As she cleared the basin, heading back toward the original path, she tried to pace her mount as well as she could without loosing any ground to the pursuers. As she crossed the brook splashing water all directions, she lost speed and was forced to veer out of the brook for the sake of her mount. Finally she found a small bridge where she could quickly pass and at the same time she was back on the trail toward the palace now and this was a great relief. She rode at a slower gait now only hoping they would not catch up, and for another hour she held this pace until she came up on the great palace bridge. At this point, she trotted her tired steed across the well lit bridge toward the main entryway where people would recognize her. She was almost half way across the bridge when suddenly pain erupted from her chest and she wailed in agony. Realizing she had been struck, she leaned into her steed and pushed with everything she had left in her to get the documents to another member of the royal guard before the enemy had a chance to retrieve them. As she gasped in pain, she wailed, Enemy pursuit! Immediately the bridge began to break at the joint and with everything she had left in her, she forced the horse to leap the rising bridge and as she landed, she tumbled from the horse unconscious. Looking on from the distance, the men knew they had lost and their own escape was their only concern now. With angst and hate in their eyes, they wheeled back into the night at a full gallop.

The first thing Rastia saw upon awakening was the queen's concerned eyes gazing down on her. That was a foolish thing you did young lady, she admonished softly, You almost got your self killed! For my que- she began in a rasp and ended in a hacking cough that felt like it was ripping her apart. Quiet. the queen softly replied, running a finger across the girl's chin, Rest now. The room went blurry and then dark...

Some time again later she awoke, still in pain, and feeling very light headed, but awake enough to see she was in a very lavish bed so very unlike her personal bunk. Unable to turn her head for the pain, and aware that her arms and head were bandaged, she merely looked around with her eyes. Oh there you are back with us! came the melodic voice of Miss Kinasawa, You gave us all quite a scare there! It hurt too much even to breathe let alone speak so she simply lay back and listened. Seems you thwarted a rebellion and a civil war young lady, all by your self! bringing over a bowl and a pitcher, she poured some warm water into the bowl and with a cloth began bathing the girl's face and neck, And you nearly died on us! Oh, wow, she thought to her self. All she could do is lick her dry lips and look around in wonderment. The queen was so highly impressed with you! she continued, She decided to oversee your care personally in her own chamber! This made her look around more intently at the surroundings! She could focus a bit better if she squinted, and see the canopy of the bed she lay upon, with deep purple silk and golden colored tassels. Again, the only thing that came to mind was, Wow! I know you must be thirsty, Miss Kinasawa observed,The loss of so much blood, its amazing you survived! she had a cup and a small half tube shaped instrument which she laid gently up to Rastia's lips, Now be careful and don't drown now that we've stopped the bleeding! With little sips, she took down the smooth golden plum wine laced with opium, but before she finished the cup, she slumped over into peaceful sleep.

Upon awakening, she felt less pain and she could see a little clearer, but she dare not move for fear of extreme pain, so she lay there motionless just taking everything in. The hushed voices of the queen and Miss Kinasawa could be heard in the background, quite a lively yet subdued conversation just beyond her ability to hear. After a minute, both the older women approached her side. It seems you've been heroic above and beyond the call of duty young lady, the queen purred, I just don't know what to do with you!

The investigation turned up a conspiracy that involved several hundred people in government and was indeed very deep! Miss Kinasawa added. Hm- was all Rastia could say and even that hurt a bit, making her stop in grimace. Now-now the queen patted her cheek, No need to get worked up right now, you just lay back and rest and get better, ok? Rastia replied with a weak smile. With some more medicated wine, she resumed sleeping peacefully.

As Rastia lay sleeping in the night, Queen Schiina lay in only a silk sheet nearby gazing softly on the young girl. The queen looked astoundingly different! She looked younger, softer and with her voluminous hair spread about, it was hard to even guess she was her real age, let alone as old as she made herself appear in public! The queen gently stroked the girl's face and hair and even began to run her hand across her bandaged chest, but she stopped herself, blushing, because even as a queen, she shouldn't take advantage of the sleeping girl. Still, she did take up the unbandaged right arm and wrap her own around it, pulling herself up to the girl until her bosoms enveloped the girl's arm and sighed gently, My little heroine... before drifting off to sleep her self.

Episode 6 A Time To Heal

It was noon when Rastia awoke, she felt groggy still, but it seemed she could smell perfume for some reason. Since she didn't own perfume, surely it was somebody else's, but for the life of her, she could not fathom whose. Her stomach growled and other parts of her body needed attending to as well. To her surprise Sen was standing nearby in full armor, watching patiently as a soldier would. I shall summon Miss Kinasawa, she said softly then left the room.

In seconds, she returned following Miss Kinasawa who came over with a tray of delicacies Rastia had never before eaten but had seen the queen eat. This made her blush in shame. Just eat! Miss Kinasawa urged, The queen ordered this for you, don't disobey her wishes now... But first I need to... she blushed, ...I have to use the pot. At this point she finally discovered that she had been naked other than the bandages. She momentarily gasped but then she thought to herself, Well you dummy, you're injured and people have to bath you and care for you, so what did you expect? with this, she regained her composure and put on a calm soft smile as to say I am not going to let this embarrass me...! They patiently and understandingly helped her up and into a small chair which had wheels on it which they rolled over to the closet where they helped her up and into the small chamber and gently closed the door. She knocked when she was done and they helped her back out, into the chair and back to the bed. With that she obediently ate the sumptuous foods the queen had ordered for her and relished their wonderful flavors. Mmmmmmmmmm!!! she moaned in pleasure, which made her cough with just a bit of pain...Owww... she moaned again... Be careful Miss Ksiitan! Miss Kinasawa cautioned gently but with a hint of alarm. Yes, Rastia responded softly. As she pondered the situation, she asked, How long have I been here now? looking around the room and with clear eyes appreciating it with wonderment. You have been here three weeks now, Miss Ksiitan, Miss Kinasawa replied, And from the looks of it you're healing up quite nicely! Three weeks!- interrupted by a painful fit of coughing. -three weeks?!?! she came again in more of a harsh whisper. Now you stop that young lady or you'll reopen your wounds! Miss Kinasawa sternly but lovingly scolded. But I have- she protested trying to get up and failing, only to be pushed back down by Sen. YOU, young lady have to follow the queens orders and get well! Feeling defeated by both pain and weakness, as well as being reminded she was under orders of the queen whom she adored and revered, she weakly complied, Yes ma-am, she acquiesced softly.

The days were long and boring, but at night, she was able to now see the amazing transformation of the queen from a gaudy but papery looking old woman to a vibrant and robust middle aged woman with a very ample body! With the help of Miss Kinasawa and a few other servants she would strip off the costume makeup and the clothing and then a large cloth strip would come of and here luxurious bosom would come free and swing about with the lustful grace and vigor of a teenage girl! Not as huge as Sai's breasts, but rather remarkable, on her more fit body they were a glorious sight to behold! Slipping into a silk gown, she would send them all away and come over to the bed and lay down casually beside Rastia and they would talk for hours until they fell asleep. In time the bandages came off, first from the arm which was not that badly hurt, then from the thigh, but it had to be changed several times, and then the ear, which had left a nearly invisible scar, and finally in time the finger was freed up, although it was clear it would never work the way it once used to. Still her chest was bound to be sure she did not tear the delicate lung tissues. Night after night, they would lay and talk, it seemed the queen knew everything in the world! Often Rastia, with naught but a soldier's education was completely lost and unable to respond, but only left to listen in rapt fascination.

One night however, the queen came in and after undressing, asked that wine be brought to her. Instead of coming to the bed, she sat in a chair a while and drank wine, with a subdued look on her face. She sat quietly gazing softly at Rastia who simply lay in a reclining position propped up on may pillows, attentively waiting on her queen. You know, she finally said, showing some of the effects of the wine, Its a lonely miserable life to be the queen... It is? Rastia responded in surprise. For me it is, she amended, I can't speak for others. It would be foolish for me to think to do so. But why is it lonely for you? Rastia implored not understanding. I have nobody. she declared disparagingly, Nobody I can trust, nobody I can feel safe with.

But Miss Kina- Rastia began Is married. the queen cut her off. Married... Rastia echoed...then slowly it came to her...Ohhhhhhh...! I want that. the queen said flatly. Oh, well, surely we all- Rastia began to say supportively. Drink with me. the queen cut her off again. Well, sure! I mean yes my queen! Call me Schiina. Yes my...Schiina... Rastia blushed deeply, looking down, and as she looked up, the queen was approaching her and with the wine tray which she lay on the dresser beside the bed. Schiina had a soft gentle glow about her tonight. And on top of that, as she handed Rastia a cup of wine, that gentle but distinct fragrance came with it. As Rastia sipped the wine, she half expected to fall asleep as when they had added the opium, but instead she remained awake and the wine felt good going down, warming her insides, making her feel at ease. Schiina poured another cup of wine for herself and climbed into her bed, but instead of laying back she remained sitting cross legged holding her wine. Do you have someone? the queen said softly but in a commanding tone. Well, not really... Rastia replied thoughtfully, There was a girl I liked back home, but she was not a soldier... Does that really matter to you? the queen demanded softly. Its how things are. Rastia replied simply. Its just how life had always been! Queen Schiina let out a deep sigh, You've opened my eyes to so much, in such a short time little one, she softly declared, I have spent a lot of time rethinking what I thought I knew. I did? Rastia was incredulous, You have? Yes, she replied wistfully, And I decided, I don't want to die alone. Die?!?! Rastia balked in surprise.

I'm not young little one... she calmly replied unperturbed by the young girl's outburst, I won't live forever, none of us do. Well, no, Rastia began, but you're not ill are you? No, I'm not ill, little one, far from it... then she tool a really long slow deep breath, Not unless you can say I'm heartsick... Heartsick? Alone. Lonely. Empty. Desolate inside. Ohhhhhhh... Rastia felt very sad and sorry for the queen. Queen Schiina took the pitcher and poured more wine in both their cups. As they both sat and drank a while, Rastia pondered what the queen was saying, but it was not really connecting what she really meant. I truly do hope you find somebody my...Schiina... she said as the wine made her begin to relax and she felt comfortable saying it... My Schiina... the queen slowly breathed, I love to hear you say it... Rastia smiled, feeling quite comfortable, My Schiina... she breathed again, but somehow it made her feel giddy... She was looking out across the room when the queen lifted the cup from her hand catching her attention, and placing it on the tray on the dresser. Watching the cup, she didn't quite realize that the queen had come up on her knees and one hand, leaning toward her, all that thick black wavy hair tumbling down across her shoulders. Ohhhhhh... Rastia mused, your hair is so beautiful... I've never been told that before... the queen replied, a slight tremble in her voice. I've never seen your hair like this before... Rastia replied in a simple minded fashion...the alcohol was definitely loosening up her words. Rastia had never been drunk before. Touch it. the queen said. Hmmm? Rastia mused absently. Touch my beautiful hair with your hands... she said huskily. Rastia calmly reached out and stroked the queen's hair feeling its silky smoothness...Mmmmm... she purred, You hair is so soft...

The queen came closer and was almost in Rastia's face, and Rastia stroked her hair lovingly, I never touched a girl's hair like this before... she mused, Its so wonderful... she began purring unconsciously, and this excited the queen. As Rastia was lost in the queen's hair, Schiina tilted her chin up and with a gentle but deliberate move wrapped her thick adult lips around those of the smaller less developed girl and softly sucked on them. Rastia was caught up in the moment and just breathing deeply, brought both hands up to the queens head and holding her with those small hands let herself go and plunged into the first real kiss of her life. After what seemed an eternity, the queen, with a deep sigh, feeling she would fall into oblivion if she did not stop now, pulled back from the kiss. 'This is wonderful, the queen sighed, But lest we do something rash, she put her finger on Rastia's still searching lips,We had best refrain for now, and sleep and rest. En rapt and under the influence of the entirety of the moment, as much as Rastia hated the idea of stopping, she acquiesced and responded with, Yes my Schiina...we should sleep now. As the queen began to lay down Rastia followed with, But hold me... This caught the queen slightly off guard and it seemed that Rastia understood this because she followed with, Hold me like you did before...when you were afraid for my life. How did you know? It was the perfume... she said sleepily, You wore that perfume when you held me... Indeed I shall little one, for this is for both of us, a time to heal With that, wearing a most dreamy romantic smile, Queen Schiina reached around under the girl took hold of Rastia in her strong embrace and they slept together that way the entire night. Episode 7