Catty woke to the sound of someone knocking at the door.
The room was dark. She was sleepy. Deciding Royalty had its privileges, she closed her eyes.
The knock came again.
"Stupid Poles..." She knew it wasn't Far, or one of her other guards. They would have just entered, as anything worth disturbing her for would be important enough to ignore her privacy. Only humans would wake a Queen, expecting her to get up and answer the door in the middle of the night for something petty, stupid. Pulling the covers up under her chin, she stayed where she was.
A third knock was faint. Not on her door, but rather the one across the hall. They were waking her men. Probably to ask them to wake her. With an annoyed groan, Catty pushed the covers off of her nude body, un-shielding the lamp between the two small beds. Stupid, ignorant Poles. She threw the dress from the day before on, one of three outfits she now owned. The promise of new clothing had not yet been fulfilled. Something about a sudden rush of orders to every tailor on the island. No excuse. She had needs.
There was another knock, this time familiar. The door opened a moment later, a nude Far stepping into the room. Catty dropped her gaze momentarily to the two slender sex organs dropping down between his legs. She immediately sent her eyes back to his face, hoping he had not noticed. Far was bowing.
"Forgive me, Your Highness. The Poles have need of you."
Shanna stepped into the room behind him, along with the young redhead who always seemed to be with her. Catty crossed her arms over her chest.
"It's late. This can not wait?"
"No," Shanna said, voice seemingly apologetic. "And I do apologize. I do not like being up at this hour either."
Catty let out a sigh which to her ears sounded more like a snort.
"What is it, then?"
"You can move yourself with magic, yes?" It was the girl, stepping forward. Catty's eyes widened. She didn't think that one had spoken with her yet. Her tired mind processed the question.
"Um... why?" She didn't feel right saying too much. For all she had told the King she would help him, the extent of that help had not been defined. She did not know what they already knew. The redhead motioned to the hall behind her.
"We have need to transport newborns to a hot spring, as we can not provide for them here. They will never survive a trip through the cold night. So, I thought, if it was possible for you to travel magically, carrying them..."
"We know your magic only works on yourself," Shanna added. Her voice was friendly, with only a slight annoyed edge. Catty respected that edge. "You can teleport things you carry, right?"
"Um... yes." She answered in spite of her herself, tired mind still trying to understand the girl's statement. "Newborns? Whose?"
"Adanya's, the Kikker Chief's daughter. It's rather unexpected, and we're unprepared. Will you help us?"
"I..." Her eyes went to Far. The Elf nodded his head slightly, not a hint of humor on his face. "Yes. Yes, I will try."
"Thank you, Your Highness." The girl bowed her head low. Anelie. That was her name. Anelie. Strange that it came to her just then. Anelie's green eyes came up to meet hers. "Can you travel someplace you've never been?"
"It's not about knowing the place. It's..." Her eyes flicked to Far again, swiftly leaving his beautiful face. "I can go to any place, thing, or... person, my heart truly desires."
She saw the eyes of both females flick to Far. Heat rose to her face. Shanna nodded to her.
"What, or who, should we send ahead with Adanya, Your Highness?"
****
If Catty had known, she would not have agreed.
She stood against the wall in the small Polock bedroom, as far from small tub and its two tenders as possible. It was an abomination. A horrible, disgusting abomination. Her few days among the Polocks almost had her believing that the tales of their mating with other creatures were false, that these were a somewhat civilized people. But, no. No, the male before her had... and the Kikker woman! How could SHE have done such a thing? The Kikker were an advanced people! To have STOOPED to being with an animal like the Polock! And that woman was now with her Far, riding to a distant hot spring. Would she seduce him? Would he...
Catty shook her head, clearing that image from her brain. Far would never do that. Never stray like that. No. No, he was a good, noble Elf. Not like...
The sound of water pouring brought her attention back to the two Poles. The girl was pouring water, fresh from over the fire, into the tub. A bucket on the floor held cool water scooped from the tub to make room. The hulking male sat on a stool, eyes focused on what lay under the surface of the tub. He reached down, fingers vanishing below the rim.
"There," Anelie said, the last of the liquid dripping from her bucket. "All warmed up for them." She straightened, wiping a few stray hairs from her forehead. "I hope they'll be OK."
"They will," her brother said. He sounded... happy. The crossbreeding fool sounded happy. Catty should say something. Maybe... maybe they'd listen to...
"Bogdi." The redhead lowered herself to her knees beside him, a bare hand resting on his thigh. She looked up with concern. "You know this kind of thing never ends well. The children are never..." She swallowed. "They never come out right. Even if they survive birth, they're..."
"I know, Little Sis. I know." Catty watched as he placed his large hand on hers. "And I didn't plan for this. But I love her."
"I know you do."
"I just want to do what's best, you know? If they live..."
"IF they live."
"...I never thought I'd have children. You know? Not for awhile. I'm not one to spend time with the kind of women who throw themselves at soldiers, or frequent the whores. I thought, maybe, after I left the army, I'd find someone..."
Catty felt her feelings shift. This... this was not the kind of talk she expected. They sounded almost... civilized. Unaware she was doing it, she took a step forward, her own words startling her.
"Why did you do it?"
The two Poles seemed to have forgotten she was there. The man shrugged, eyes regarding her speculatively.
"Why does anyone do anything? I was with her because I enjoy her company. She was with me because she felt the same. We laid with each other because both needed the comfort which comes with the touch of another. If I had thought, if she had warned me..." Bogdi's eyes widened, turning to the girl. "She didn't warn me. Didn't stop me."
"It..." the girl's face turned red. "It can be hard to stop, when you're with someone you love."
His hand went up to Anelie's face.
"Did she..."
"Nothing I did not want. I'm happier than ever."
Catty had no idea what they were talking about. Nor did she want to. She tried to focus.
"There are stories of you Poles breeding with others. Of monsters out there, the result of unnatural unions."
"And we hear the same about Elves," the girl said, eyes hardening as they looked back at Catty. "And about Watu, Kikker, everyone, really. We all think the worse about our neighbors."
"But you said it happens."
"Now and then. Often from rape, sometimes not. The babies are never born, or are killed when their true nature is revealed. All the creatures you may think came from humans were already here when we arrived." She sighed. "Mother told us of a half Elf born to a girl when she was young..."
Anelie's eyes widened, her head whirling towards her brother.
"Mother!"
"I'll deal with her, little sis. Do not worry." He chuckled, eyes going back to the tub before them. "She does want grandkids..."
****
Catty watched as ropes were tied around the small bucket now holding the eggs, the wooden cover held on tight. The last rope created a handle. Bogdi held the loop of rope towards her.
"I hope it's not too heavy."
She almost hoped it was. Then, she could not do this. They could find some other way to save the eggs, or maybe they'd die. Either way... Her hand curled around the rough rope as his hand released it. She lifted. The bucket raised itself off the floor. It WAS heavy, but for the few moments she'd be holding it there would be no problem.
The two humans stood, Bogdi and his sister taking a step back. The man nodded to her.
"Thank you, Your Highness. This truly means everything to me."
She said nothing. It was time to get this over with. Far and the Kikker woman would be wherever it was they were by now. Right hand gripping the rope tight, she closed her eyes. Catty pictured Far. Pictured his face. His eyes. Those wondrous, black eyes. Her left hand made the gestures, her mouth mumbled the words taught to her long ago.
She felt...
****
The air changed. Catty opened her eyes, a smiling Far before her. She dropped her gaze, face filling with heat even as the air chilled the rest of her. She knew Far recognized her feelings. Knew that, despite herself, she had been obvious in her attention to him. Still, every admission sent her heart and mind into a panic. Was all love like that? She didn't know.
The weight of the bucket lessened. Adanya was beside her, the Kikker woman gripping the handle. Catty let go.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Adanya bowed. She was nude, her rope skirt discarded on the smooth rocky ground. Catty could not understand what modesty such a garment could provide. Humans, at least, covered themselves to a great degree. As the woman turned, both hands now gripping the bucket handle, Catty took in their surroundings. The spring was set into the side of the mountain, the walls rising up above them behind the warm pool. Small bushes and scrub plants pushed themselves out of cracks in the stone. The flat rock where they stood could hold perhaps a score of people, wrapping around half of the lily pad shaped pool.
Slowly, gently, Adanya stepped into the water. Catty now realized there must be steps, or the bottom sloped downward. The Kikker lowered the bucket into the pool, suddenly dunking herself below the surface.
The night was silent. Shivering, Catty stepped closer to Far.
"Did she say anything?" She asked. He shook his head.
"No, and I did not ask. It is not our problem. The eggs will not hatch."
"I HOPE they don't."
"Such things the Spirits prevent. The world would be filled with such half breeds in half a lifetime if..."
The splash of Adanya breaking the surface cut him off. Catty wondered at his comment. Did THAT many lust after those of other races? It seemed... unlikely.
Far stepped forward, leaving her side as the Kikker woman walked out of the pool.
"Are they settled?"
"I think so. They look healthy. Strong. I will come here in a few days to see if they have hatched." Feet now on the shore, she looked behind her into the dark pool. "I... should stay. Want to stay. But," she said, letting out a sigh, "I can not."
"What future can they have?" Catty asked. Adanya's head swung towards her. Catty took a step back. "I... I mean..."
"They'll have what future they have. Ours is not to ask, but to accept." Bending her knees, she picked up her skirt. "Maybe they will unite us. Maybe Poles and Kikker will become one, a new nation forged from the best of both peoples. Or," she said, fastening the ropes as she stood, "they will be an outcast clan, forever on the boundaries of both our races, dividing our peoples forever. Either way, I will love them." She walked towards the two waiting horses. "Come. It is a long ride back."
****
"You know," James said, "I'm starting to dread your visits."
He leaned back in his chair, eyes on Shanna. She straddled the straight back seat on the other side of his desk, eyes tired. Between the attack and everything else that had happened, sleep had obviously been in short supply.
"I'm not happy about this either," she said, her voice half a groan. "Could my life get any more complicated?"
"At least you waited until morning to come to me. I appreciate it, truly."
"It was the least I could do."
Pushing back from the desk, he stood.
"First Elven Queens, now half human eggs. This is going to make any other changes or reforms we want to make all that much harder. People fall back on tradition when pushed."
"So, no gay marriage quite yet?"
"I honestly think that wouldn't be as much of a problem as you'd think. Mind you, they'd probably consider it a good way to identify the unholy perverts. Give them 'special', easy to see wedding rings." He sighed. "You know, of everything we've encountered in this world, I think just the idea of those eggs disturbs me the most. They're..." He shook his head. It felt wrong to actually say out loud those thoughts. He was no bigot. "All I can think of regarding our half frogs is setting aside some isolated home for them, but we have no frontier. Anyplace on the island we put them will be too close to both our people."
"I don't like that anyway. Hiding them does nothing."
"It gives us time."
"They're still eggs. We have time. It will be weeks, months, before they're even ready to leave that pond."
"Oh, good. Weeks. Thank God for that. I was worried."
****
Piotr was leaning against a wall outside the King's office. Shanna frowned as she entered the hall, the guard closing the door behind her. She had no time for this. For him. Bracing herself, she walked towards him.
"Morning." She kept her voice neutral. His boyish face winced.
"Shanna, I..." He took a breath. "Can we talk?"
Letting out a groaning sigh, she stopped before him. Her hand started to move to a resting place near her sword's pommel, a silly thing for it to be doing. She halted the motion before it became noticeable.
"You said enough yesterday."
"Shanna, I'm sorry. I was stupid. I... I can't blame it on drink, although I did have some before you showed up, but I was just surprised and jealous, that's all. It was silly."
"I agree it was silly and stupid."
"I still love you, Shanna."
Damn it. Just what she didn't want to hear, at least not yet. Why couldn't he stay angry for a week or so, like a normal man?
"I love you, too," she said, hoping to God above he could not tell from her voice what she had done half a night earlier. "I told you that. You being an idiot doesn't change that."
"Can we go somewhere? Talk? Please, Shanna."
Her hand went to her forehead. A headache was coming.
"Not... not now, Piotr. We have a lot of shit to do. Later. I promise." And she meant it. For all Anelie was confusing her, that stupid fight could not be the end of them.
"Is there anything I can do?"
Piotr was trying. She had to give him that. Despite herself, she smiled.
"No. No, we're good."
"His Grace wouldn't let me go to you last night. I wanted to."
And if he had ridden up that night, offering assistance in the heat of the crisis? What would she have done? Taken him to bed, most likely. Fucked him silly, petty disagreements set aside. Would she have wanted that? Yes. Would she have wanted it more than her hour with Anelie?
She did not want to answer that.
"We were fine. It was just a... idiots being bigots. But... thank you." She stepped closer to him. "Come to the fort tonight for dinner. We'll talk."
"Will she be with us?"
His voice was... not angry, but harder. She had not even considered having Anelie there. Was he asking for her?
"Why?"
He sighed, falling back against the wall. From the corner of her eyes, Shanna saw the King's guards watching them, amused. Piotr saw it too. He gave a half laugh.
"This is what I get for not agreeing that we should just talk later. Like there isn't enough gossip about us already."
He was joking, of course. Those closest to the King kept their tongue behind closed lips, or they learned the error of their ways. She could not help but smile. He smiled back. Shanna's heart fluttered. Damn him. She folded her arms across her chest.
"About Anelie?"
"I don't WANT to deal with this yet, Shanna. Believe me, I'm all for pushing it off as far as possible. But..." His eyes went to the King's office. "I don't think we have time. I don't know why, but I want this settled between us. However you feel, whatever you choose, I want to get it out in the open and dealt with."
Shanna just stared. Those were the words of a Man. Not a boy, not a love sick teen. Maybe... maybe there was hope. She stepped to him, hands touching his chest as she placed a light kiss on his lips. His eyes were wide in surprise as she moved back.
"The three of us will talk. We'll see if any of us listen.”