The Hardest Battle, Part 4

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More than two years since the last chapter was posted, Regina's story continues after a killer cliffhanger. What's a former prince to do when the murdering madman who killed her father and changed her into a pretty pet asks her to be his bride? And what must the head of the Thieve's Guild do to make his uncle an "honest woman?"

Sorry it took so long, folks -- and if you've never seen the story before, go back and read parts one through three first! *grin*

The Hardest Battle, Part 4
by Randalynn

“"Rome was not built in a day
Opposition will come your way
But the harder the battle you see
It's the sweeter the victory."
- Jimmy Cliff

Regina could barely restrain herself. She flew up the stairs to her tower room, ignoring the bouncing of her ample bosom and lifting her full skirts to keep them from tripping her. Her speed and strength came as a complete surprise, considering that a few short weeks ago she could barely stand. In fact, she moved so quickly that even the guard Drax had assigned to watch her could barely keep up. Still, the princess scarcely gave him a thought as she raced towards her room -- a room that, only a few minutes ago, she thought she might never leave again.

'I must find Mel!' she thought, her mind racing. 'I have no idea what game the usurper is playing now, but his proposal changes nothing. The whole idea is absurd. I wouldn't marry that murdering madman for anything he might have to offer, even if he laid the world at my feet and promised me the moon as a wedding gift. But perhaps we can use this to buy us time. I only hope she's there.'

The princess reached her doorway and threw open the door. She hurled herself inside and slammed it behind her, leaving her guard standing inches away from the heavy oak that almost smashed his nose as it closed.

Breathing hard, Regina leaned against the door. At the sound of its slamming shut, Mel turned from her place at the window and locked eyes with her lover. She ran across the room, took her in her arms and hugged her tight. The princess hugged back. Then they both pulled back, stared into the other's eyes, and spoke simultaneously.

"Beloved, I have news!"

The pair stopped, looked at each other for an instant, and then burst into laughter. Melinde fell down onto the bed and looked up at Regina, a glint in her eye.

"You first, sweet," she said, the smile never leaving her face.

"No, you," the princess replied, her smile equally wide.

Mel shook her head. "You should go first."

"Why?" Regina came and sat down on the bed beside her. Mel smiled wider and put a hand on her lover's arm.

"Because what I have to tell you will make any news you have pale in comparison." The princess gave her beloved a curious look, but Melinde shook her head again. "Trust me, my love. Tell me what made you run up the tower stairs like a filly with a bee in her tail."

Regina took both of Melinde's hand, looked into her eyes, and said, "Drax has asked me to marry him."

Mel's eyes grew wide, and a smile grew on her face. It became a grin, and she started to giggle.

"Oh, my," she stuttered between bouts of laughter, "he must have quite the inflated opinion of his charms if he thinks you will agree to be his bride after all he's done to you."

The princess smiled and shook her head. "Honestly, Mel, I believe it's still all about the contest. If he kills me, it's as much admitting defeat as if he used that awful medicine to enslave me. If he lets me live as I am, I would become a symbol for rebels to rally around. He'd rather have a draw then lose completely, and the only way to justify keeping me alive is to use me as I am to make his claim to my kingdom unquestioned. I am worth more to him as his queen than I am as a pet."

"Are you sure it isn't some sort of trick?" Melinde searched deep in her beloved's eye. Regina gave a very unladylike snort, shook her head, and stood up.

"I can't say it isn't, at least with any certainty." She glided over to the mirror and looked into her reflection without actually seeing it.

"Still, I know him well enough to say it is just the sort of eccentric idea he would come up with to avoid losing," she continued, lost in thought. "After all, it's enough of a win to salve his ego, and in his own mind he can paint it as my surrender as I become the woman he intended me to be all along."

Melinde had calmed enough to give her beloved a more serious appraisal. "It could be something more, you know."

"More?" Regina turned and cocked her head, clearly puzzled. "I don't understand, beloved."

"You have managed to best him at a game he was sure he could not lose," she said softly. "And even though he forced you into a role you never wanted and fought him every step of the way, you have become a remarkably beautiful, poised and self-assured young lady. He knows you were raised to rule, he respects you as a warrior, and he lusts for you as a woman."

Melinde stood up, walked over to stand beside the princess, and turned her lover's face towards the mirror. Regina once again looked at her own reflection and beheld what Drax and Melinde had made of her. The enormity of what the other woman was saying began to sink it, and she gasped, and turned back to Mel. Her betrothed nodded.

"Maybe what he truly wants," the other woman said, "is what every king wants at his side. A queen in the throne room, a general in the war room ... and a tiger in the bedroom." Regina shook her head, unable to believe the thought. Mel put her arm around the princess and squeezed, and the two looked at themselves in the mirror, two beautiful women with a big problem.

"Maybe what he really wants," Regina whispered, "is a wife."

###

Alyssa, daughter of Bernard and Evelyn, carried another pail of water into the house from the well. Alan Smithee, one of King Stephen's finest, wouldn't have had a problem carrying pails of water all day long. But with the padding on Alyssa's hips and chest changing how his body moved, he found himself unable to use his strength as effectively as he once did. He couldn’t stand the way his body needed to stand to carry heavy loads, and he wound up using other muscles to make up for the difference. As a result, even the easiest tasks became monumental to the girl he was forced to play. He said as much to Bernard as he entered the kitchen and lowered the pail to the ground with a sigh.

"That's as it should be for a young girl doing her chores," the thief replied with a smile. "If sweet Alyssa were to start toting heavy weights like a dockworker in Hamlin Bay, even Drax's guards would take notice. And we can't have that, can we, daughter?"

"No, Father," Al replied softly, maintaining her girlish tones while cursing Drax's name in his head for the hundredth time that morning. "I suppose we can't."

Bernard gave the young soldier a critical look, then patted the chair next to his.

"Come, rest yourself a while, Al." The soldier cocked his head, and the thief smiled. "I think my good wife can wait for her cooking water for a few. After all, she's not cooking. She's not even here, is she? Still gossiping with the new neighbors, I'll wager. Women and their tongues." Bernard winked. "And she's not your sergeant now either, missy. She's just your mum. In this house, I outrank her. So no need for 'hop to, take that hill' just yet, eh? Not while you're 'Daddy's best girl.'" He patted the chair again. "Come sit for a bit."

Al sat slowly, his eyes still on Bernard, and the older man was quick to note how feminine his actions were. He smoothed his skirt under him and sat with his knees together, back straight and chest out.

"You do this very well." He said it quietly, and saw the slight flinch Al gave in response. The thief nodded. "Pretty hard duty for you, isn't it, Al?"

The soldier looked down at his hands and said nothing. Bernard sighed and looked back into his cup.

"Probably hard growing up looking like a lady instead of a knight." He spoke to the air, not looking at Alan at all. "All the other boys making sport of you, and the girls not giving you the time of day. I bet you got tired of that right quick."

"So you waited until you were old enough, and you joined King Stephen's army. And you work hard to make a name for yourself as a soldier. Brave, unafraid to take on the tough jobs. You're small, and you need a lighter sword than most, but you earn yourself some respect out in the field. You hide your pretty face behind that barely grown beard and rough uniform. And your mates don't much care what you look like, as long as you pull their asses out of the fire when the battle turns ugly." Al looked up at the thief, and Bernard looked back and nodded. "Yes, I talked to some of your comrades. I had to know the kind of man I was dealing with here."

"Then along comes this crazy plan, and suddenly what you look like picks you up and throw you right into the soup. It's the one thing you've been ducking your whole life, and now it's your duty. You’re one of the best soldiers they’ve got, and they need you here. So you have to put on the 'uniform' and be a good girl, come out here in skirts to help train and get the people ready for when the time is right."

There was a long silence. Al shifted uncomfortably.

“I have my orders,” he said, “and I follow them as best I can. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Bernard went back to staring into his cup. “You’re doing your duty, I understand that. But there’s a part of you that does like it, Al, isn’t there? And it’s scaring you more than you want to admit.”

“It’s wrong.” The soldier blurted out. He looked down at his hands, folded in his lap, and his voice filled with bitterness. “I’m a man. I’m not supposed to enjoy ... this.”

“You are supposed to be Alyssa, Alan. She likes being young and beautiful. Nothing wrong with that.”

“But I’m a MAN!”

“You know that and I know that, and so does everyone else here who doesn’t work for Drax,” the thief said softly. “But to everyone else, you’re my daughter. And there are benefits here for Alan, as well.”

The solider shook his head violently, but said nothing. Bernard continued. “You don’t know why you’re enjoying it? Damn, Alan, for the first time in your life, you don’t have to work against what other people see, when they look at you. In fact, as far as Drax’s guards are concerned, it’s your duty to be exactly what they expect. They see a pretty girl, and thanks to this crazy plan your general and my guild master came up with, you have to be a pretty girl.”

The kitchen was quiet for a minute. Bernard sighed. “Look, here, in this village, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone. They know you’re a soldier. They’re taking orders from you and Evan, preparing battle plans at your direction. You don’t have to prove you’re tough. At the same time, they’re treating you as Alyssa in public — not to embarrass you, but because it’s their duty to the kingdom. Not to mention the fact that they LIKE you. Also, it’s your duty to be Alyssa — the best Alyssa you could possibly be. So why not walk that line between the man you are and the girl you appear to be, and see where it takes you?”

“But it’s wrong.” Alan shifted uneasily in his seat. “Isn’t it?”

The thief took a sip of his drink and smiled. “You’re asking a thief about right and wrong? Even I know there’s something wrong with that.” He thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“I don’t claim to be a general, but I’ve learned a bit in my time, just fighting to make my way. The way I understand it, the hardest battles reap the highest rewards. Even a sip of water becomes priceless if it’s earned with sweat and pride and honor, and you’re fighting for so much more — here in this town, for the kingdom and the princess, and inside you, where it counts.”

Bernard reached out and patted Alan on the arm. “Right now, there’s work to be done, so hop to, girl, and finish getting your mum’s water before she gets back from telling her friends what a terrible husband I am.”

Alyssa gave her father a tentative smile and rose quickly to her feet, then scooped up the pail with both hands and headed back towards the well.

###

The two women lay naked on the bed, their bodies intertwined as they both savored the feeling every woman knows when she has been well and truly ravished by someone who loves her.

Regina’s fingers traced small circles on her beloved’s stomach, occasionally laying her hand flat to feel its warmth. Melinde smiled, picked up the hand and kissed its palm.

“You were so right, my angel,” the former prince said softly. “Your news put mine to shame.” Regina snuggled into Mel’s side, and the other woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“Our child,” she said with a smile, “will be a new start for the kingdom, once Drax is overthrown.”

Mel kissed Regina’s forehead. “And to think I couldn’t puzzle it out on my own. I had to ask Cook and Maude what it all meant. I felt like such a fool. You would think I would recognize the signs myself.”

“You’ve never been with child before, sweet,” her mate whispered. “How could you know?”

“A woman just knows,” Mel replied. “Or she should. Shouldn’t she?”

Regina stretched a little and rested her head on Melinde’s breast. “I am not the best person to ask, you know. I’ve only been a woman a few months at most. And I am almost certain that, as thorough as Drax’s healers might have been, adding those parts that would allow a prince to carry a baby would be too much for even their skills.”

“In all other ways, you’ve taken to your new sex very well, my love.” Mel stroked her hair, and Regina sighed. “In some ways, I am surprised, because you are still the man I love. But you are wrapped in this beautiful new body, and sometimes you’re so naturally female I forget, just for an instant, that you were ever my prince instead of my princess.”

“My father used to say that all life is change.” Regina reached out with her tongue and caressed Mel’s nipple, smiling when Mel shuddered in response. “This is who I am now ... what I am now. To deny it would be like trying and fight on a battleground that only exists in your imagination, instead of on the true field of battle — the one thrust upon you by time and circumstance.” She touched the nipple again, and Mel squealed. “For example, I do enjoy taking this particular hill ...” Soft lick, and Melinde moaned. “Over ...” Both lips surrounding the nipple and suckling gently as the other woman groaned again. “And over ...” Tiny bite, followed by a muted scream. “And over again.”

Melinde pushed Regina away and rolled on top of her, pinning her arms to the bed. The former prince grinned a wolfish grin that looked oddly seductive on her now feminine features, and her beloved kissed her so hard that her own hills became peaked with tips that begged to be taken — tips that Mel toyed with unmercifully until Regina felt her whole body wracked with waves of pleasure.

Regina looked up at her mate with love, and Mel kissed her gently before lowering herself onto her princess’s body and cuddling her skin to skin.

“We must decide what to do with Drax’s proposal,” she whispered.

“We must refuse him, of course,” Regina replied, her voice equally soft. “We cannot risk legitimizing his claim to the kingdom with a marriage to me, not with our child on the way. If he were ever to discover our baby’s existence, Drax would kill him or her, just to preserve his legitimate claim to the kingdom if we should wed — and he would most probably kill you as well, just to hurt me if for nothing else.”

There was a long silence, and when Mel spoke again, she took Regina totally by surprise.

“Now that is where you’re wrong, precious. You will, of course, accept.”

###

Tobias pulled the wagon to a stop in a copse of trees on the outskirts of Malvern. He sighed, and jumped lightly to the ground.

“Where are you going?” Neville asked, somewhat surprised that they had stopped at all.

“Into town, Mum,” the thief replied in Jenny’s lilting voice. “There may be a message here from Melinde, or other news of the rebellion.”

“Then why not just take the wagon in?”

“You know the answer as well as I, even though you are loathe to admit it.” Toby looked up at his uncle. Lord Nesbit’s’s face betrayed nothing. “There is a guard post on the road into the city, and you are still not ready to actually be Gwendolyn.”

Neville shifted uneasily on the wagon’s seat.

“What do you mean?” he asked, his voice rough.

“That’s what I mean!” The guildmaster kept his feminine voice, but his exasperation came through strong and clear. “Listen to yourself! You’re still using your male voice, not the female one you learned in camp.”

“Surely, when we are alone ...”

“No!” Tobias pulled back his temper, then sighed and slipped back into his normal register. “Honestly, Uncle, I know you’re not entirely dim. We’re supposed to be using this time on the road to become our roles, so our deception is not discovered once we reach the castle.”

“I have been trying!”

“Oh, yes, but that is all it is. Trying, as opposed to succeeding. It’s still all outside ... all an act. You aren’t becoming Gwendolyn at all!”

The general looked down on his nephew, into those angry eyes, and looked away.

“I ... I can’t.” He spoke so softly that Toby has trouble hearing him. “For all that we’ve done, for all the plans we’ve set in motion ... I just can’t do it. I can’t put myself inside a woman’s head. Not even to save the kingdom, the princess ... or my daughter.”

“I don’t ... I can’t believe that.” The master thief stepped towards the wagon. “With everything that is at stake ... with all that has come before ... are you going to allow something this simple get between you and victory?”

“It’s not a question of ‘allowing’ anything, thief!” The general growled. “Any more than being unable to climb a wall a hundred feet high without a rope or ladder is ‘allowing’ the wall to defeat me. I simply can’t BE a woman. It’s not in me.”

“Of course it’s in you,” Tobias insisted. “The problem is, you can’t reach it. You have so much of yourself invested in who you are that you can’t let go for long enough to embrace who you might be.”

He spun on his heel and walked away from the wagon, his arms folded under his faux breasts. The seconds became a minute, then two, and finally the thief turned and looked up at his uncle.

“There is a way to make this work,” he said. “But you need to trust me, completely and without reservation. Can you?”

Nesbit considered his position, and realized that he had little choice. If Tobias could make this plan a success, he had to trust him. How else could he possibly do his duty to his dead king and his oppressed country?

“I have to,” Neville replied evenly. “Otherwise all of this is for nothing.”

Tobias nodded. “Not quite the answer I had hoped for, but it will have to do.”

He glided over to the far side of the wagon and climbed back up to the wagon’s seat to sit beside the general. Turning sideways, he reached out to Neville’s shoulder and turned him so the two men faced each other.

“One of the guild traveled to the south and east, and returned with an interesting skill. As I told you, a thief’s success is often a matter of stealth and misdirection. With this skill, and the trust of the person on which you use it, a man can become invisible to guards, simply by convincing the guards that that cannot see him. In the same way, you could make someone believe you were someone else, like a sergeant or a valued household servant, free to come and go as you please. The only trouble is, you need time with the person you seek to affect. And you need to be trusted by them.”

Lord Nesbit shook his head. “I’m not sure how this will help us. You would make others see me as Gwendolyn? You would have to use whatever this is on hundreds of people between here and the castle ... and getting all of Drax’s guards to trust you? Ludicrous.”

The thief smiled. “I only need one person to trust me, and that person is you, Uncle. Let me show you how this will make things right, at last.”

Tobias took both of Neville’s hands. The general looked at Tobias, confused. “Look into my eyes, Uncle. Look deep. See the slight differences in color, the thin lines and patterns every eye holds? Hold them in your mind. Commit them to your memory. Go deeper and deeper into my eyes, like an ocean of blue, until you can swim in them, as if they were an endless sea of possibilities. You can breathe in the ocean of my eyes, Uncle. Deep breaths, full of clean fresh air. But the bottom calls to you, and you must answer. So dive deep ... still breathing, still warm, still safe. Deeper ... deeper ... dive to the deepest depths, until the only thing you see are my eyes, and the only thing you hear is my voice ...”

###

The guard opened the door to Regina’s tower rooms, and Drax stepped through to find the princess standing by the window. She wore a dress he’d never seen before — a white bodice that lifted and presented the tops of her full breasts, with light blue sleeeves that extended three-quarters of the way down her arms, and a matching skirt of yards of gathered fabric that flowed its way to the ground. Her hair was arranged in a tumble of gentle curls, and framed a face that owed its beauty more to the one who wore it than the artfully applied paints that barely graced her skin.

On her head was a simple crown that Drax recognized as the one worn by princesses in this realm at affairs of state — a simple silver tiara adored with sapphires and emeralds. She also wore matching bracelets and a simple silver chain. As he looked at her, he noted how out of place his golden collar appeared.

“You are beautiful,” he said, half amazed that the once-proud prince would embrace the woman he had become so completely.

“So nice of you to notice,” Regina replied sweetly. “Considering the nature of our last conversation, I wanted you to see the kind of queen you’d be getting, should I decide to say yes to your ... unexpected proposal.”

She turned to her servant. “Molly, dear ... please leave us?”

The other woman curtsied. “Yes, Your Highness.”

She turned quickly and left through the door behind Drax. It was still held open by the guard, who couldn’t stop looking at the princess. Regina flashed an angry eye at him, and Drax turned to see the man still there, and staring.

“Close that door, damn you,” he snarled, “or I swear the next time you look at a woman like that, you’ll be looking in a mirror!”

The door closed so quickly, the torches in the sconces rattled when it slammed into the frame. The princess hid her grin when Drax turned back around.

“Your turn to experience my hospitality, I believe,” she said, raising a delicately arched eyebrow. “Such as it is. Poor fare compared to what you offered me the other day, but it is the best I could provide under the circumstances. Please sit and eat. We have much to discuss.”

Drax approached, then moved behind her chair and held it for her. She smiled, nodded her head in thanks, and sat gracefully, arranging her dress around her. The usurper then moved to his own chair and sat, and poured them both some tea.

“So,” he said carefully, “have you been considering my offer?”

“I have.” She reached for a small pastry and nibbled at the edge of it, careful not to spoil the color on her lips. “When last we spoke, we agreed to speak plainly and honestly, and so I shall. The thousands you’ve hurt, the hundreds you’ve killed, make you worthy of both my anger and my hatred. And yet you ask me to marry you, to become your wife and your queen. By marrying you, I would legitimize your claim to the throne. I would willingly give you what you stole, turn over what was and should have been my entire kingdom to you, as well as my body on the marriage bed. Some of those I rule would see my agreeing to this union as rewarding you for the murder of my father ... and for turning me into this.”

Drax nodded, understanding the political realities of Regina’s situation.

“These are all good reasons to refuse your hand,” she continued, “but on the other side of the argument are possibly some good reasons to accept. So, I am willing to discuss your proposal, and perhaps agree to it — but only if you are willing to discuss some important changes to our relationship, both personal and political, that would make the benefits of agreeing to be your wife outweigh the flaws inherent in sharing a throne — and a bedroom — with you.”

Drax looked at her across the table, as if seeing her for the first time.

‘She is magnificent,’ he thought. ‘Have I finally found a woman worthy of being my wife? She has no bargaining position at all, and yet she sits there in her pretty dress and negotiates with me as if she were worth a kingdom all by herself. And yet, just the act of doing so makes me think she might be the one for me. Where else would I find a woman with the heart of a lion, and the will to fight for her place in my life ... to be more than a slave to my desires?’

“I am intrigued, Highness,” the usurper responded. “Pray, tell me ... what would make marrying me a ... palatable alternative?”

“First, I am a princess, not a pet,” Regina said, reaching up a delicately shaped fingernail and tapping lightly on her golden collar. “This will have to go, immediately.”

“Agreed.” Drax smiled. “You never really were my pet, as we both know.”

“True.” The princess smiled back.

“Second, you already rule an empire.” Drax nodded, and Regina continued. “You have many kingdoms under your control. You had no real need to add another, and yet you chose to steal my birthright.” She took a deep breath. “As my dowry for marrying you, I want this kingdom back.”

His eyes flared slightly, and a frown slipped onto his lips. “You ask too much.”

The princess shrugged. “This land has belonged to my family for generations, and I would have it be so again. Is that so wrong? If I do marry you, I would be your queen and rule all your domain at your side. But here, I would rule this kingdom as its queen. Here, my authority would exceed yours. My word would be law, and my people would be safe from both the predations of your guards ... and your occasional fits of temper. To my subjects and my nobles, this would make my marriage to you acceptable, because they would understand my motives would be to protect them ... from you.”

“You would have me give up what I have taken by arms ... to have you?”

“To have me as a willing wife and helpmate, yes,” Regina countered sharply. “You already have me as a prisoner, but you want more. By giving me back my birthright as legitimate ruler of this land, you would lose nothing. My kingdom would still be yours, since you would be my husband. But it would also be mine, for I would be your wife. And you would choose to give it to me to rule because you want your wife to be happy, and it would make her happy to keep her people safe and prosperous.”

Drax stared at the determined princess before him, wondering if she might be more than a handful as a wife. At the same time, he was never one to turn down a challenge ... and if, after all he had done to her and her world, he could still make her agree to marry him, it would be a victory unlike all others.

With a very winsome prize.

“I shall ... consider it.” The words slipped out before he could stop them, and before he could let her see his surprise at his betrayal by his own mind, Drax cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. “Will there be ... anything else?”

“Yes.” She rose from her seat and glided to the window, staring out over her lands instead of at the usurper. Her voice became softer. “You have made a woman of me, which is something I never would have wanted only a few short months ago. Still, I have learned to accept what I have become, because my father taught me to always see the world as it is, not as I wish it to be.”

“So yes, I am a woman now — apparently one attractive enough for you to wish to wed, even if I’m not quite woman enough to give birth to an heir. However, since we first met, you have always treated me as something less — an obstacle, a toy, a slave ... or a pet.”

Regina turned back to Drax, and he saw the fire in her eyes. “You see me as a woman now, which lifts me above slave or pet — although evidence suggests it doesn’t raise me much in your eyes. That needs to change. I used to be a man, and the man I was hasn’t changed inside. I’m still a warrior. I am also a princess, which means I can make you a king. And if I become your wife, I will also be your queen, deserving of respect — not just from my subjects, but from my husband as well.”

Fascinated, Drax leaned forward. “What is it that you want from me, exactly, Highness?”

Regina took a step towards her captor and let some frustration slip into her voice. “I want to know that you see all of that and understand it. If you can’t give me that respect, I might as well throw myself out of this window and die now, because I refuse to live as nothing more than a pretty puppet, sitting at the right hand of an inhuman monster who fancies himself a king.”

Drax sat still, looking up at her, still slightly confused. The princess took a deep breath.

“I want you to treat me as a peer, worthy of respect. I want you to show me that you see me as more than a toy ... as someone worth the effort to chase, and win. I want you to treat me as a woman you care about, and prove to me that you care enough for me to get past everything you’ve done to ruin my life and my world.” She took a deep breath. “In short, Lord Drax ... I want you to court me, and prove that you see me as a woman, and not just a stepping stone to power.”

Regina watched the usurper’s jaw drop, and thought back to the remainder of her conversation with Melinde, barely keeping her smile in check.

###

“Accept?” Confused, Regina looked up into her beloved’s eyes. “You want me ... to say yes?”

“Of course!” She smiled impishly. “What girl wouldn’t want to marry a bloodthirsty tyrant like Lord Drax? But first, dearest, you will insist on being courted. After all, your husband-to-be has to prove his love for you, doesn’t he? Drax must learn to treat you as a partner, not a pet. He must see you as the woman you’ve become, as the princess you are and the queen you will be, and he must win you as best he can. You will, of course, not make it easy, for he killed your father and stole your birthright, and your sex. But eventually, his efforts will soften your heart and finally make you agree to be his, for the sake of your people. And Drax will think he has won. All this will give us time ... and then, of course, will come the wedding day.”

“For your wedding, you will insist that there be a huge festival, the likes of which has never been seen before — to show your subjects that you accept him as your husband and their king. As for myself, I will send out ‘personal’ invitations this very night for a ‘celebration’ three weeks hence.” Mel paused and thought for a bit, then nodded. “Yes, three weeks should do nicely. After all, so many are already on their way here for ... other reasons — cooks and bakers and craftsman and entertainers from dozens of villages across the kingdom.”

Regina saw where her love was headed and grinned. “And this veritable ‘army’ of my subjects will descend upon the castle and its surroundings to celebrate my wedding day ... with sharpened steel.”

The princess pulled Melinde to her and kissed her deeply, then let her go to gaze into her eyes. “I do love how you think, my wife, my life.”

“Your wife?”

“Remember? Brother Maynard married us long ago, when we were only children. And although I am sure he did not mean them to be binding, I choose to accept and honor those vows, even if they were made when I was barely old enough to stand and promise myself to you. Even then, we both knew we were meant for each other, and nothing that has happened since then has changed that.” She looked up at Mel. “Has it?”

“No, beloved ... my husband.” She kissed the princess softly. Regina kissed her back, then shook her head and grinned.

“It shall be wife and wife, I think, my angel,” she replied with a wink. “Woman I am now and woman I shall remain. We shall deal with how the world treats our marriage once the battle is done, but our child will be the rightful heir to the throne, boy or girl, come what may. This I swear.”

###

As the wagon rolled out of Malvern, those it left behind could hear the mother and daughter singing, and it brought a smile to their lips. Who would have thought, in times such as these, that two women traveling alone could be so cheerful, and in such good spirits as to sing as they went back on the road.

“In all the land are none so sweet,
as the two girls Jenny and Gwen.
Though one is the mother
and the other her child
They are always welcome friends!”

“For as they go from town to town,
they bring sweet joy along.
For the goods they sell
are the finest sold,
And they leave with a happy song.”

“With a row, dow, diddle dow day,
With a row, dow, diddle dow day!”

As the village dwindled behind them, Gwendolyn took one hand from the reins long enough to put it around her daughter’s shoulders and give her a happy hug.

“You see, poppet?” She smiled. “Such a nice town, full of good people. Even with Drax in King Stephen’s bed, good folk are still good folk, and we did make a pretty penny on those cookpots and spices we sold.”

Her voice took on a wistful tone. “Still, I do wish we could have stayed a while. I didn’t half fancy that big guard ... you know, the one leaning against the wall of the inn? And truth be told, it’s been a while since I’ve had a proper turn under a man who knows how.” Gwen sighed, remembering a few “proper turns” from long ago. “Still, we have places to be, and no time to tarry, I suppose.”

Jenny rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. “You’d best be careful about tarrying with one of Drax’s guards, Mum. A bunch of mean ones, they are.”

Gwen reached up and tousled her daughter’s hair. “Oh, go on now, my girl. I’m sure they ain’t as bad as some folks think. A man’s a man, after all, and they’re all the same in the end ... hungry as a stallion for a mare’s charms and hard as nails when the time is right. And a'course it always helps if the 'stallion' is hung like a horse!”

She laughed, a rich throaty sound that made Tobias think of some of the women he’d known and pleasured in his day. The Gwendolyn he’d pulled from deep in Neville’s mind was every bit as lusty as the lustiest wench he’d ever met. And he didn’t dare pull his uncle from the ‘liar’s sleep,’ because if he ever found out how he’d been behaving, Lord Nesbit would never trust Tobias to put him under again.

Unfortunately, this meant three weeks of being Jenny, loving daughter to Gwendolyn, cheerful traveling merchant.

‘To be fair, she is better company than Neville ever was on his best day,’ Tobias thought, as Gwen gave her ‘daughter’ another warm hug and a kiss on the top of her head. ‘But I never imagined the Earl of Durham, Protector of the Crown, and chief military strategist to the court of King Stephen would turn out to be such a wanton woman on the inside. She will get us both killed unless I can keep her from luring a willing partner into the back of the wagon for a quick tour of her "charms."'

The guildmaster sighed. It was going to be a long three weeks.

© 2005-2010 as a work in progress, all rights reserved. Posted with permission of the author.

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Comments

MUST read ...Go Randa Go !

Finally more The Hardest Battle.

YES!

John in Wauwatosa

John in Wauwatosa

I've been thinking all this time

IF our heroine marries the warrior king and HE dies SHE inherits his kingdoms as I assume he has no heir as he has been so busy *accumulating* thrones. Better hope he's not into prenuptial agreements.

-- snicker --

Hum a wedding/counter coup, charming. The coup is before or after the reception? I mean we MUST have a chicken dance or the marriage is not legal, well at least in Wisconsin.

LOVE the long time lovers devotion to each other even given his, now her changed circumstances.

The hypnotism bit was a hoot.

John in Wauwatosa

John in Wauwatosa

Yep

Andrea Lena's picture

“It shall be wife and wife, I think, my angel,” she replied with a wink. “Woman I am now and woman I shall remain. We shall deal with how the world treats our marriage once the battle is done, but our child will be the rightful heir to the throne, boy or girl, come what may. This I swear.”

And you know I'm biting my tongue over this, dear heart. *hugs*

She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Con grande amore e di affetto, Andrea Lena

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Alan Smithee?

I love the story!
and I'm glad ya listed Alan Smithee as a Corporal and not as the author!

(Like some a the Directors used ta do when they didn't want ta put there name onna movie!)

The Hardest Battle, Part 4

Wheels within wheels turn in the battle of wits and will. If only they had the sword Excalibur, then they could stop Drax, but then again, there is no Merlin around.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

OMG!!!

And you figured this out all by yourself!!! Brahahhahaha

Mea The Magnificent

Twists and Turns

It'd been so long I had to go back and reread this. Oh woe is me! You have such a way of taking many of TG fictions standard stories of humiliation and forced themes and giving the characters strength and respect. Someone once give me some words of wisdom. "Just because it feels good, doesn't mean it's good for you." So many wants to literally down themselves in the forbidden femininity that they're denied. But how of that is really good or uplifting for them as a person?

Regina has kept her dignity and self-respect despite was done to her. Anyone can be broken, but the Prince's strength of character and determination didn't disappear with his manhood. I love how Mel saved the person she loved no matter the danger. The two together warm my heart. However working together they are truly formidable opponents.

You've also sneaked in examples of other transgender stereotypes. The overly brave, young solider in denial. The hypnotized hmmm... enthusiastic crossdresser, and more. This is simply not only a rousing good story, but one that makes you think. Thank you so much for such a gift!
Hugs!

Grover

stereotypes

indeed, you have taken some standard situations and made them competly new and fresh. great story, so far. I think that the battle of wills between Regina and her captor is far from over, and he still thinks he can "tame" her. fantastic chapter.

DogSig.png

Oh that's rich!

Okay, I admit - I never read this particular one of yours before - and did so in one go. I'm awed as usual, but...

(There's always a but ;) )

It appears that all of us your fans have to fight a different, hardest battle - with waiting for you to grace us again with you wonderful tales.

Faraway

P.S. It is going to be a long three weeks. I hope it won't be more than that! ;)


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

You have NO idea ...

... of the sense of triumph I felt finally moving Regina's story forward. I should probably stay with it for a while, but all of my other ideas keep calling out, and if i give each a little attention, nothing ends up getting posted for months. *sigh*

All I can say is, I'll do my best!

Thanks for reading!

Randa

This might work...

Andrea Lena's picture

...Okay.. Stark? Bishop...Tommy? Can you hear me? Let's line up single file...Okay, you back there that nobody has met? Mal? Zoe? Jayne..stop staring at Linda and pay attention. Anybody else I'm missing...oh I am so sorry...I wouldn't forget Regina. All of you, be nice. Okay. Okay! Thanks for your cooperation. Be just a second....

She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Con grande amore e di affetto, Andrea Lena

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

You forgot Becca and Heather!

There was a talk about revisiting them sometime later. ;)

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

I love it!

Hopefully, I'll live long enough for the next chapter...

Hey, let's see which one of us posts a new chapter first, Okay?

On your mark, get set...go!

Wren

I really liked this story. I

I really liked this story. I wonder if there will be some problems with their plan - this little intrigue of theirs ought to be expected. You don't become an emperor for nothing.

I hope you'll write the end of this captivating story sometime.
thank you for writing,
Beyogi

Still one of my favorites...

Andrea Lena's picture

“It shall be wife and wife, I think, my angel,” she replied with a wink. “Woman I am now and woman I shall remain. We shall deal with how the world treats our marriage once the battle is done, but our child will be the rightful heir to the throne, boy or girl, come what may. This I swear.”

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Wondering...

RobertaME's picture

...if you'll ever complete this story. As it stands, it has all the lows, but no redeeming payoff at the end. Regina endured the torture and despair, but never got the happy ending. I adore your stories, but leaving this one hanging after 11 years makes me sad. Mel and Regina deserve it after the hell they went through.

Why do I talk about them like they're real people? Because in the hearts and imaginations of your readers, they are real... just as all the men that Stark had to save from others' stories were real enough that you had to rescue them from their fates.

Please, I know it's asking a lot, but if you can find a way to finish this story, it needs you.

Kindest regards from one of your biggest fan girls. :^)

I’ll come back to them …

… and to all the rest. I just need for these stories to call to me loud enough to bring me back to them. I stopped working on them to finish a novel and coming back to them has become very hard for some reason. But your recent comments helped me to see that someone still cares about my characters and their lives, so I might be back sooner than I thought. *smile*

Thank you for liking my work!

Randa

An Author Isn't a Public Utility...

...(I used to know who said that) but even though it's been more than a decade, I'm still hoping that you'll finish this.

Eric