Izzy was tearing down walls and freeing people who’d been beholden to others for thousands of years. Izzy had said in her speech that she didn’t want to rule, didn’t want power. I’d sensed her thoughts at the time, about how she wouldn’t know what to do with power if she had it. But it seemed she knew exactly what to do.
She was taking control now, stealing it from the dwarves and the elves wherever she could. Izzy might not want to rule, but she’d be damned good at it, always fighting for the freedom of others.
The woman before me was a queen in truth, if not crowned yet.
And overcome by this realization. I fell to one knee, head bowed.
“It’s damned sexy to watch you work, my queen,” I said.
Izzy’s thoughts stuttered.
“I’m not…” she stammered.
“Oh, but you are,” Vyns said, and he knelt as well. “I will do as you ask, my queen.”
“I will stand by your side, my queen.” This from Koar as he knelt as well.
I looked up, seeing Izzy a bit dazed by this.
“This is… too much,” she whispered.
“If you think so, then you haven’t been listening to yourself, my queen,” I said. “You’ve just vowed to take control of two armies and undermine thousands of years of authority… and… I’m pretty sure it’ll work. That’s the act of a queen.”
She blinked. “Huh… I guess… so?”
I loved that she was so humble she couldn’t see it.
Svokol burst through the door behind me. “What’s wrong?” he panted. He must have sprinted here.
I craned my neck to look behind me and couldn’t help my smile when Svokol, seeing we three men all kneeling… slowly sank to his knees.
“What… do you need of me?” he said, his tone turning submissive, compliant.
Izzy laughed. “I need you to stand up, then I need you to take me to see the dwarven leadership. I have a message for them I’d like to deliver in person.”
Svokol stood. “Yes m’lady,” he said without hesitation. “I’ll make arrangements to leave first thing tomorrow.” Then he rose and left.
Izzy sighed heavily. “Tomorrow,” she echoed. “Which means… this is my last night with you three… together.”
I caught the shift in her thoughts, she needed us, needed a distraction from everything.
“I don’t suppose you’d consider helping your queen forget the shitstorm that is her life?” Her tone held a note of weariness. “I really could use a break from being the boss and thinking about the death and destruction at my doorstep.”
The three of us rose and went to her, three pairs of arms wrapping around her.
“Just never forget the boss-bitch you just showed us,” I whispered to her. “That’s who you really are. We all know it. Hopefully you do too.”
“Thanks for saying that. I’ll try not to forget her, but that’s not how I want to be with you.” She looked around at the three of us.
“Out in the world, we serve you,” Vyns whispered.
“But here, when we’re alone, we’re whatever you need us to be,” Koar finished.
“So… what do you need?” I breathed playfully.
“I need to forget. I need to be naked and screaming. I’ll leave the details to you,” she replied.
I had a feeling we could make that happen.
