Vulcana and I gated back to the dorm, and the rest of our squad went off in search of the prince. Fortunately, teleportation into and out of realms required permission by both realms, due the nature of realm class shielding.
Darby and Kanae were able to track his mana trail, since they had thoroughly scanned Hestia, and Hestia still had strong traces of his mana from having just mated. As typical of Fionna, she had a sort of sixth sense about her, and she was out of her room and in our faces, almost as soon as we materialized.
“You stink of sex,” Fionna said.
“Hestia was just drugged and raped by the second prince of the Empire, in a trap that was supposed to rape me. She is pregnant with twins due to the use of Dragon Nip in the said rape. We think the Prince was set up also, and the rape was unintentional on the part of the prince,” I said.
“Can you not go just one semester without some kind of catastrophe, Queen Deirdre?” Fionna said.
“Well, there are some positives. We have now confirmed that Dragon Nip is a hyper-fertility drug for Dragonkin. Also, Hestia’s mother will be happy to have grandchildren. Lastly, Hestia will now be able to annul her unwanted arranged marriage. We are currently in the process of retrieving Hestia’s mate. We don’t know if he will accept Hestia as his wife, and mate, or will choose the alternative. Hestia has not said, which result she prefers, and we really don’t know which one is a positive result,” I said.
Before Fionna could respond, the door burst open and the rest of the squad came in with the prince in an ice chrystal.
“Hey guys, great work. But, when I said keep him on ice. I didn’t mean it literally. We want him alive,” I said.
“He’s fine. He’s in hibernation. I used my hibernation spell on him,” Kanae said.
“Kanae, humans can’t hibernate in this world,” I said.
“No, really it’s ok. He’s actually a Gumihokin. Not very much, I doubt he can transform. The percentage of Beastkin is very low. But it’s enough to keep him safe in hibernation,” Kanae said.
“Kanae is right. I’ve been monitoring his condition. He’s in perfect hibernation.”
“Well isn’t that fascinating. I bet the Empress knows. So, that’s the advantage the Imperial family have over the nobles. That’s valuable information. I wonder if that had anything to do with the Empress wanting me to marry one of her sons. Well, she’ll get a modified version of her desire, if that was part of her goal,” I said.
We put the prince into our squad barracks for the interim.
Then we went to the Council Meeting I was summoned to.
“I’m sorry ma’am, but your companions were not summoned, and I cannot allow them to enter,” The senior guard said.
“For what purpose have I been summoned?”
“I’m sorry ma’am, but I cannot say,” the guard said.
“Then you have no reason to refuse anyone entry, Let us in,” I said.
“I’m sorry ma’am, but this meeting is classified. I cannot allow unauthorized persons in,” the guard said.
“How fortunate for you! All of my companions have the highest security clearance by order of the Queen herself. As such they are all fully authorized to attend any meeting, of any level in the Queendom. Let us pass,” I said.
The guard was really sweating nervously now.
“I’m sorry ma’am, but this is in regards to a criminal proceeding. I cannot let your companions in,” the Guard said.
“How doubly fortunate for you, sir. This is my legal representative team. Now let us in. That’s an order, or did no one tell you I am the Queen of two realms, and a countess in this Queendom? Move, aside,” I said.
“I’m sorry ...”
“Sleep!” I cast, and the guard collapsed on the spot.
I opened the doors and entered with my squad, who were all trying to stifle their laughter.
“Salutations, noble members of the Council. Your sentry is asleep. You might want to send in a replacement, or someone to wake him up. How may we be of assistance today?”
Kanae and Kiera couldn’t contain it any longer and doubled over laughing, which triggered everyone else. I just put my hand on my forehead and shook my head, trying to hide my grin.
“Your companions are not authorized to be in here. They must leave,” Marquise Morgana said.
“I was informed by the guard, before he nodded off that this was a classified criminal investigation. This is my legal representative team. Everyone on this team has the highest security clearance in the Queendom, granted by Queen Matilde herself. By the laws of the nation you cannot refuse them entry. Nor can you deny me legal representation. Furthermore, this criminal investigation is itself in criminal violation of my rights as a Vassal Queen of this Queendom, and as the Queen of Wallachia of the Empire. I also do not see the Imperial Ambassador, or her representative in violation of the Peace Treaty of Caspia between the Empire and the Queendom of Dargon. But, I am willing to continue this meeting, this one time without the Ambassador, or her representative. I reserve the right to press criminal charges, at a later time, against every Council Member present. Hestia, please record the names of all the Council Members present,” I said.
“Yes, my Queen,” Hestia said.
“You may now proceed,” I said.
“Why you...” Morgana began before being cut off by Duchess Ealadrien.
“Thank you, your majesty, but we don’t need your permission to continue, even if a certain Council Member failed to properly notify you of today’s proceedings. We are here today after several very serious charges have been filed against you. At first, we summoned you in regards to apparent embezzlement by yourself from your domain. Subsequently, we have been made aware of an apparent act of treason, and conspiracy with an operative of the Empire to seize the Queendom of Dargon.”
“Wow. Well this should prove to be an interesting farce. Why would I embezzle from myself? Did none of you stop to consider that? Did any of you bother to consider that I am the daughter of the former Red Queen? Which means I have access to her hoard? Did none of you know that my Mother had half of the Red Dragon hoard as well as her own family hoard? Have you never considered how vast the Red Dragon hoard must be, after it being collected and added to over the past seven thousand years? Did none of you consider that I am the White Dragon Queen, and recently reclaimed the entire White Dragon hoard, as well as a portion of the treasure from reclaiming the White Dragon City?
Since this is a classified meeting and all of you have the highest security clearance, I can reveal that my original squad and I reclaimed relics, and one particularly priceless relic, which is today owned by one of us from the Darkling Realm, and that the Darkling living there allowed us to take all those treasures. We left far more than we took. We could go back and take more anytime we want to. Although, there is likely no one alive other than us and the Darkling living that can enter or leave the Darkling Realm alive.
I am also the Queen of Wallachia, and as such am entitled to a certain portion of the wealth and royal treasury. In other words, I am almost certainly the wealthiest person in the world alive today. Why would I bother embezzling a trifling amount from what remains today no richer than any ordinary viscount territory?”
“We have a letter from Archduke Setanna, enumerating your crimes,” Morgana said.
“A forgery. Has anyone contacted the Archduke?” I said.
“It has been verified as a true copy,” said Marquise Gráinne said.
“By whom?” I asked.
“By an authorized person,” Morgana said.
“As the accused, I have a right to know who my accusers are. So again I ask, by whom was it verified?”
“By the Chief Auditor,” Morgana said.
“A forgery. Since the ultimate accuser is the Archduke, I demand to cross-examine and call for the appearance of the Archduke. My right cannot be denied.”
“If we go this route, you will have to be detained ...”
“The Treaty of Ghentia in the Second Age between the human realms and the Dragon Realms forbids the detention of a Dragon Queen who has not been publicly tried and fairly convicted in an open court, with non-accused dragons present,” I said.
“We have only your word that you have a great wealth. Do you really expect us to take the word of an accused as to their quote unquote vast wealth?” Morgana said.
I pulled out a handful of coins from my mother’s hoard, and tossed one to each of the seven Councilmembers, and one to Kiera.
“Kiera, what is the street value of that coin?”
“These can be bought from the few merchants who deal in them for a thousand gold, and can be bought for six hundred gold wholesale.”
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“Purely for the value of the metal, how much is it worth?”
“Wholesale this much gold can be bought for fifty gold.”
“I ask the Council if a price were set for the wholesale value of this Queendom, what would it be?”
“That information is classified,” Ealadrien said.
“Seven rare coins will not be nearly enough to buy a Queendom,” Morgana said.
I pulled out a pouch from my storage and drew an empty spell circle on it and activated it. The same ancient coins started pouring out. First by the tens, then the hundreds. Soon the pile reached my waist.
“Please let me know when I come close to the worth of the Queendom?” I said.
“Are you implying that you have enough of these ancient coins to match the value of this Realm?” Gráinne asked.
“Easily. I could flood the market and destabilize the economics of every nation with just the coins in my hoard,” I said.
The gold was now spilling all over the floor and my companions and I were now having to step up to keep from getting buried in coins.
“You have looked at the books for my domain? You looked at the expenses and the income, and the balances? Did you look at the deposits? You know the deposits I have been making from the sale of relics from my own hoard to rid my realm of all poverty. Or that I have been the one buying up the slaves in my realm, and freeing them, and giving them new homes in the new buildings in my realm. Did any of you bother to go to my realm and look for the actual buildings and other expenses and notice there are no more slums in my realm? No? None of you?” I said.
The faces on the council were now all in sheer shock?
“Is this pile of gold still not enough to buy this kingdom outright at current market value of these rare coins, that aren’t really all that rare, since I’m fairly sure every dragon hoard has tons of these. But, are we sure the floor is strong enough to hold all this gold? Or should I continue to let the gold flow out. Or we can switch to rare gems and other things with a higher value per ounce,” I said.
“I have seen enough,” Gráinne said.
“I think we can withdraw this charge for now, and conduct a more thorough investigation,” Ealadrien said.
“Recall” I cast and all my gold coins began to swarm back in to my pouch. I tossed the pouch back into my storage.
“Was that your hoard?” Gráinne asked.
“Oh, Goddess no! That’s just my loose change,” I said.
“Loose change, yes, of course. You are a dragon through and through,” she said.
“That leaves the charges related to treason,” Ealadrien said.
“Oh, I can’t wait,” I said.
“Are you pregnant, your majesty?” Ealadrien asked.
“No, I am not currently with egg or child,” I said.
“Have you mated within the last month?” Morgana asked.
“No, I have not,” I said.
“Liar!” Morgana said.
“Have you any proof?” I asked.
“Have you met with any member of the Imperial Royal Family in the past month?” Gráinne asked.
“I have not met with any member of the Royal family in the past month,” I said.
“What would you say, if I said that there are four witnesses who saw you with a member of the royal family in the past month?” Ealadrien said.
“I would say they are wrong, but could not give any specific answer without given the days and times I was alleged to have been seen with them,” I said.
“One week ago today, did you meet with a member of the Imperial royal family at the second noon bell?”
“No,” I said.
“There are four witnesses who saw you having an illicit meeting with the second Imperial prince on that day and time,” Ealadrien said.
“They are mistaken. I was in my dorm at that time on that day, in a private conversation. The prince was in the Maze garden at that time,” I said.
“Ha! See! There’s your proof!” Morgana jumped up and yelled.
“I did not mention the Maze Garden. How did you know that was the location of the prince on that day at that time, if you were not there?” Ealadrien asked.
“I have my own irrefutable witness that the prince was there on that day, and at that time,” I said.
“Please share the name of that witness,” Gráinne said.
“No. It is none of this Council’s business,” I said.
“It is the business of this Council to investigate treason,” Morgana said.
“My witness saw no treasonous act, so my witness is irrelevant to these proceedings. Just move on, maybe we will revisit this later depending on later issues,” I said
“Very well. You say you weren’t in the Maze garden at that day and time. You were in your dorm? Have you any witnesses?” Gráinne said.
“Yes, I was having a private conversation with Archduchess Fionna, of a personal nature, until a quarter past the hour. After that I was in the company of members of my squad. You can confirm that with her, it was a memorable day,” I said.
“Well, isn’t that convenient. Your dorm officer is your alibi at just the right moment. A dorm officer who has gone to great lengths to assist you over the year,” Morgana said.
“Are you saying you would question the oath of Archduchess Fionna, the queen’s sister. I hope you have strong proof of that,” I said.
“We are certainly not questioning the word of the Archduchess, who is not even present to give testimony. But we now have potentially conflicting witnesses, placing you in two places. One of them is with the prince of the Empire,” Ealadrien said.
“You have yet to explain how being seen meeting the prince is a treasonous act,” I said.
“Certain documents have turned up, that if they are true show a conspiracy between you and the prince, and an illicit relation with the said prince,” Ealadrien said.
“You have seen these documents? Are they here? Or in the Council’s possession?” I asked.
“I have seen them. They are in our possession,” Ealadrien said.
“In the Council’s possession, or in the possession of a council member?” I asked, and looked at Morgana.
“They are in the possession of the Council,” Gráinne said.
I looked at Hestia.
“Is it alright?” I asked.
“Yes, my Queen.”
“Do you want to talk? Or should I handle it all?”
“I would like to talk.”
“Alright, I’ll get it rolling and let you take over.”
“Fine! You want to hear the story. A week ago, we got a letter. Supposedly, from the second prince asking us to meet at a certain place, at a certain time. We suspected a trap. We have the letter. So on the date and time I swapped places with Hestia, and she went to the meeting with my appearance, and I remained in the dorm. My companions were observing Hestia, from a hidden place. As she approached she noticed a guard and a maid having a romantic meeting, a gardener working, and an artist drawing. She entered the maze and reached the location which had a shed. The prince met with Hestia, and they went into the shed,” I said.
“I entered the shed in front of the prince. At that point a cloud of Dragon Nip surrounded me, and I became intoxicated. Something about the weed that draws us in kicked in, and I started rolling in it. My senses were reeling, and I was experiencing a great high. Then I notice I was mating with the Prince. I could tell I was pregnant. Then he was gone, and a few minutes later my companions came in and carried me out of the shed. It was then I discovered I was pregnant with twins from the Prince. I think he was probably lured to the place and didn’t intend to rape me, but he did rape me. But he must believe he raped my Queen,” Hestia said.
“We have confirmed with multiple medical professionals, that Hestia is carrying twins of whom the second prince is the father,” I said.
“There was not illicit romantic meeting. No treasonous conversation. Just a rape with the aid of an illegal and banned substance. You may question the prince, yourselves, but he is to remain in our custody. There is still a matter that he needs to resolve with us. I am invoking my rights, as the White Dragon Queen, under the Treaty Of Ghentia regarding the rape of a dragonborn citizen of the White Dragon Realm,” I said.
“Your claim of rights is noted,” Ealadrien said.
“Gate.”
Vulcana came through the gate with the Prince, restrained. Morgana became very quiet. The council questioned the prince, and then brought in a nurse who verified that Hestia was pregnant, and the prince was indeed the father.
“We find no treason acts in this encounter. Charges are dropped, and further investigation will begin,” Ealadrien said.
“Alban. Dragons mate for life. You have mated with my guard, Hestia, by means of a banned drug, and this constitutes rape. Hestia is willing to accept you as a mate. Therefore, you have two choices under the Treaty of Ghentia. You can accept her as your lifelong wife and mate, or be executed right here and now by me, her Queen. These are the only two options permitted by the Treaty. Had she not accepted you, you’d have been executed by now.”
“You can’t execute me. I’m an Imperial Prince,” Alban said.
“All humans and all dragonkind are bound by the Treaty. The Empire was a signatory to the Treaty, as were the Red Dragons and the White Dragons. You can and will be executed if you reject Hestia as a mate,” I said.
Alban thought for a long time. Then he said,
“What is expected of me as her husband and mate?”
“I expect you to mate with me, when I desire it, and give me more children if I desire them. You may take as many other mates as you wish. You may live with any mate, or wife, you desire. Including with me. You will always have a place in my home should you desire it. You do not need to have a human marriage with me. The ritual has no significance for me,” Hestia said.
“Are you a commoner?” Alban asked.
“I have royal and noble lineage, but have no title,” Hestia said.
“Hestia, for service above and beyond duty, I hereby raise you to the rank of Baroness. Your domain will be a Barony in the Northwest sector of the White Dragon Queendom.”
“I am a baroness, Lord Alban,” Hestia said.
Alban scoffed.
“Well, then I suppose I will be your mate, Lady Hestia. Are you really pregnant with twins? I thought that didn’t happen to dragonkin, except the White Queen?”
“I am really pregnant with twins, a son and a daughter. So we will have at least one heir,” Hestia said.
“So my children will be beastkin. Perfect.” Alban said.
“Your children will always be beastkin, as you have Nine-tailed-Fox ancestry, so you are beastkin already,” I said.
“What!? No way! Liar! Slanderer!” Alban said.
I shrugged.
“Perhaps your mother never told you, or she truly doesn’t know, but the evidence is quite clear. Why would I lie? It is nothing to me, whether you are human, dragon, or gumihokin,” I said.
“Since we appear to be done here, This Council is closed,” Ealadrien said.
With that the grand scheme to destroy my reputation ended. The Council later apologized for being used like a pawn on a chessboard. Mórgana’s influence on the Council and reputation among the nobles was shot.
News of Hestia’s rape by the Imperial Prince leaked out, and became a huge topic of interest on the campus, and around the city. Hestia and Vulcana switched shifts with Enya and Kamara, to give Hestia some privacy from the curious during class hours. A little more than a week passed, and Hestia went into the city proper to do some personal shopping.
“Sleep!” cast a person hidden beneath a grey cloak.
Hestia crashed into an apple cart as she fell unconscious. The cart’s wood shattered where her body impacted and apples were launched like red cannon shot into the air and into the shopping crowd.
Chaos ensued among the startled shoppers as five other grey cloaked individuals surrounded Hestia. Three of them grabbed, and lifted, the unconscious Hestia, while the other two cleared a path before them. The spellcaster falling in behind them.
“Kidnappers!” The cart lady screamed.
Vulcana, who had been distracted with her own shopping, turned, and saw the situation. She shot straight at the three carrying Hestia, transforming into her battle form. An adventurer who had been shopping nearby, struck down the trailing spellcaster with the pommel of her knife, and secured the attacker with a mana-cuff. The five attackers fled seeing a raging dragonkin flying at them in full battle form.
The would-be abductor the adventurer had caught was a local slaver, known as Scagra, who had managed to avoid charges of illegal abductions for years by bribing local guards and officials. He refused to give out any information about who hired him when they took him into custody. He was found dead in his cell in the morning. Whoever the abductors were, they were dangerous, if they could reach inside the justice department to assassinate threats.
I had been building a royal guard in the White City from the moment the dragonkin joined my domain. I summoned a squad of the now trained White Guard. Due to the nature of the gate system between the White Realm and the Dargon Queendom, they could not teleport, or gate to the capital. So they flew to the city. They arrived in formation at the approach of dusk. A flying shadow illuminated in the colors of the sunstarset. They landed outside the gate and marched into the city in full battle form. Their only armor beyond their natural scale were pearlescent white adamantine vambraces, marking them as members of the newly created Queen’s Guard.
They made quite the spectacle marching to the Academy. You’d think they were pipers the way a trail of the city’s youth formed a parade of captivated children behind them. When the Guard arrived we met at a location the Queen provided as barracks for them, and they brought the newly made vambraces for my person guard. The same design but bearing my personal seal, marking them as Yeomen of the Queen’s Guard. From then on, whenever any of my guards, or companions, left the Academy on personal business, they were escorted by part of the Queen’s Guard.