Here She Rules: The Chronicles of Erla: Book 1 (18 page)

She sighed as she sat down to allow Kai to fix her hair. She was looking for a compromise between her training braid and the mass of curls for which Kai was famous. They finally agreed upon pulling the front of her hair back smoothly, holding it in place by a barrette, and allowing the remaining riot of curls to fall gracefully down her back.
 

Mika slipped a new dragon arm band onto each of her arms. They were fashioned from gold with an amethyst stone set in the dragon’s eye—a gift from Nera. Cassie wore no other jewelry; it would not befit her role this morning.
 

Finally, she stood and stepped through her bedroom door with her men following behind. They would remain in her quarters during the day and join her at the celebration that night, so they lined up by the door, and she bid them goodbye as she left the chamber.

She had asked them earlier what they thought of these visiting men from another country. To a man, they replied that they were curious to see such men, but they did not understand why the men would not want a life such as the one which Cassie’s slaves enjoyed.

As she headed outside, Cassie could hear the heralding trumpets in the distance signifying that the Serlenn delegation was close, and she picked up her pace accordingly.
 

She reached the steps only a moment before Nera and ran down to join her troops, standing at the front with Kara to her right. Nera and her high-ranking courtiers stood at the top of the steps, awaiting the delegation, all were dressed in their finest.
 

The crowd was buzzing as they lined the streets waiting for the spectacle to come. Cassie and Kara took a deep breath in unison and released it as the sound of the crowd swelled. Then, the cacophony of pounding hooves from several hundred war horses filled their ears, drowning out the sounds from the crowd.
 

Pennants were seen flapping in the breeze, indicating the arrival of the people of Serlenn.

Cassie, Kara, and their troops snapped to attention. Their eyes faced forward as the procession passed. An advance guard came before the dignitaries and they were paid little attention. However, as the warriors of Serlenn approached,
they
were scrutinized
very
closely.
 

They wore armor which reminded Cassie of the Roman style. Concealing helmets covered their heads, thus obscuring most of their faces, and metal encased their biceps. Although not shielded, their tanned legs were heavily muscled, giving proof to their strength and agility.
 

Cassie counted two hundred and fifty mounted warriors following the dignitaries, and she mentally cataloged their weaponry, assessing the Serlenn defenses.
 

Even if they were welcome guests, Cassie did not wish to be caught unawares should there be any treachery afoot. Knowing your enemies strengths and weaknesses was the key to survival.

The warriors of Erla were aware they were a fascination to the Serlenn men, and so they kept their faces neutral and serious while their bodies remained stiff and at attention; they did not wish to appear weak before these men.

Cassie could hear the Queen greeting the King of Serlenn and his high-ranking officials. She scanned the Serlenn troops, watching for signs of duplicity, but her eyes met only respectful nods from the warriors who caught her gaze.
 

She heard Nera call her name along with the buzz of the crowd as she was called forth to join the Queen.
 

Cassie was aware that every eye was on her as she strode forward and up the steps to take a knee and bow her head before the Queen.

“Rise, Lady Cassandra,” Nera said regally and smiled at her. “King Nyles, allow me to introduce the Lady Cassandra, the Commander of my Army and my dearest friend.” Cassie smiled at this compliment and then turned to the King of Serlenn and bowed.

“Welcome, King Nyles, to Erla,” Cassie said, feeling brevity was the best tactic.

“Lady Cassandra, it is my pleasure to meet you. Had I known Erla was inhabited by so many beautiful Ladies, I would have come years ago.” His voice was deep and musical.
 

Cassie raised her eyes and got her first good look at a Serlenn man. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and well-muscled with a tiny waist. His skin was a tanned gold, and smooth lips parted in a smile over even white teeth.
 

She met his eyes, smiling carefully, and noted they were a blue so dark that they would appear black in low light. His hair, which was kept off of his face by his royal diadem, was a silken, silvery white that flowed past his shoulders. He was handsome and strong; altogether, he was a very attractive older man.

“Lady Cassandra has planned an exhibition for you and your men, showcasing some of the very unique fighting skills she has brought to us,” Nera said.

“Yes, I had heard you were an Off-Worlder brought here through the Portal.” Realization dawned in his eyes, and he looked at her speculatively for a moment before the suave smile lit his lips again. “How do you enjoy our world?”

“I like it very much indeed. I feel as if I have always lived in Erla,” Cassie replied with a smile.

Nera and the King took a seat in the throne-like chairs which had been set up on the Palace steps as slaves brought the finest Mull in golden goblets encrusted with precious stones.
 

Cassie bowed before the other dignitaries, noting that all of the Serlenn people had some variation of blue eyes and either white-blond, golden, or silvery-white hair.
 

Interesting . . . Their gene pool seems to be have been limited to a certain type, and with no external influences, it has produced a race of tall, tan, blond men and tiny, beautiful, blonde women. Very interesting indeed. 

Drinks were brought out to the dignitaries and courtiers, who sat on chairs and cushioned benches, while other slaves brought water out to the mounted warriors. Kara spoke with the Commander of the Serlenn troops and had them fan out to allow space for the demonstration.
 

The Erlan and Serlenn troops, interspersed with the people of the city, formed a large ring, and voices were raised in anticipation of the spectacle to come.

“Lady Cassandra,” Nera spoke, “begin when you are ready.” Cassie bowed to her, and the King then left the steps to join her warriors.
 

She and Kara picked up wooden swords and moved to the center of the ring where they were joined by other pairs of warriors similarly armed.
 

A bell sounded, and they began the mock battle. Cassie and Kara grinned at each other as they clashed swords loudly.
 

They were well-matched; each woman was lithe, strong, cunning, and well-trained. After several minutes, the bell rang again, and they bowed to their partners amidst the cheering of the crowd and the Serlenn warriors.
 

When they finished the next round and bowed, the audience once again burst into applause as the Serlenn warriors spoke amongst themselves, admiring the techniques and skills of the women.
 

The final part of the demonstration was hand-to-hand combat.
 

Kara and Cassie faced one another alone in the ring, and, at the sound of the bell, they attacked. Cassie had carefully choreographed this fight. She wanted it to be strong and convincing, but she also wanted to severely limit the chances of them hurting one another.
 

For over fifteen minutes, they fought—kicking, blocking, and punching.
 

They were lightning fast with deadly accuracy, and the Serlenn warriors roared their approval as Cassie finally threw Kara to the ground with her hand on her throat.
 

The crowd went wild, chanting Cassie’s name.
 

She rose and held out a hand to help Kara up, and having regained her footing, Kara took Cassandra’s arm and raised it up, causing the crowd to roar out their approval even louder than before. The women were met with the proud smiles of their own warriors, and the two hundred and fifty Serlenn warriors’ eyes now held a newfound respect for the female warriors of Erla.

“Well done!” cheered King Nyles. The booming voice of the Serlenn King rang through the clearing as he jumped to his feet and bounded down the steps. He was closely followed by a man whom she guessed was his son due to their strong resemblance.
 

“Lady, you are truly amazing! You possess such strength, such grace, and such technique!” The younger man grinned as he came to a stop in front of her. “Never have I seen the like!” His excitement was charming, and Cassie grinned back, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her forearm.

“Your Highness, may I present my Second-in-Command, the Lady Kara?” Cassie half-bowed and indicated the woman standing slightly behind her.
 

Kara stepped forward and bowed to the King.

“Lady Kara, it is a pleasure to meet you.” The King had a way of emphasizing the word “pleasure,” so that whenever he said it, a ripple of sexual awareness arose in Cassie’s belly.
 

Kara smiled coolly in response and said, “Thank you, Your Highness. I am honored to meet you.”

“Ladies, I would have you meet my son and heir, Nall.” He indicated the younger man who had spoken to Cassie when they had first approached.
 

Cassie and Kara bowed to him, smiling politely. He smiled at the women, returning their bow with a nod of his silvery head.

“It is my honor, and as Captain of the King’s Personal Guard, I must say how impressive that display truly was. I would like very much to discuss fighting techniques and perhaps even to train with you.” The words poured out of his throat like the finest brandy and slid right down the women’s spines.

“We would like that very much, Lord Nall,” Cassie said as she excused herself to join Nera. She left Kara there to entertain their guests and grinned as she walked away; Kara would surely make her pay for this.
 

Scores of foreign male eyes lingered on Cassie as she walked to her Queen. In their eyes, she was an exotic beauty and a particular novelty. The women of Erla were very different from the petite, timid, small-boned women of Serlenn’s lands.
 

The Serlenn women shared the same coloring as their men, but not their tall and strong physiques, so these women with their varied hair color, height and physical strength were fascinating to the Serlenn men.
 

Cassie mounted the steps and bowed before Nera, who looked up to smile at her friend.
 

“I am well pleased with you, Lady Cassandra; you continue to make me proud.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. I am grateful to be able to serve you—now and always,” Cassie replied as she crossed her arm against her chest and bowed.

Nera rose as the King approached and ordered slaves to show their visitors to their apartments, so they might settle in and enjoy a bath before the banquet and celebration. Slaves were then dispatched to see to the comfort of the Serlenn warriors who were being quartered in the Warrior’s Hall a short distance from the Palace.
 

There would be gatherings for the common people and for all of the warriors which would last throughout the afternoon and evening; the Queen had planned many entertainments. Food, drink, and pleasure slaves would be abundant for the enjoyment of all of the celebrants.
 

Kara would be joining the Queen as she was a high-ranking officer. Truth be told, however, part of her preferred to be celebrating with her warriors. She and Cassie had even talked about sneaking out to join their women for the dancing and revelry later in the evening, and she hoped it would come to pass.

After the dignitaries entered the Palace and had been escorted to their rooms, Cassie ran up the steps, heading for her chambers. Before she arrived at her destination, a door opened not far from hers, and Nall stepped out into the hallway.
 

Cassie skidded to a halt and met his eyes with a questioning smile.
 

“Do you require something, My Lord?” Nall was caught in her eyes for a moment before replying that he was looking for his servants. Gods, she was beautiful! He had never encountered such a woman before; she fired his blood and left him wrestling with his control. Had she been a woman from his country, he would have simply grabbed her, taken her to his bed, and kept her there for weeks!

“I am looking for the men with our baggage.”
 
He smiled.

“There are several slaves bringing in trunks as we speak; they were just approaching the steps as I left,” she said.
 

Cassie felt a strange tension ripple along her spine. The foreign prince was looking at her like she was a Big Mac and he hadn’t eaten in days. She bowed slightly and turned back to her rooms, but she could feel his eyes on her retreating back as she entered her chambers.

Once she was through the door, she felt relieved to be out of the spotlight and away from the scrutiny of the Serlenn males. Her men greeted her as she came in and helped her to remove her garments and get into the bath they had waiting for her. She relaxed as they washed her and rubbed the tension from her shoulders and back. When she rose from the tub, they smoothed floral scented oil over her body, leaving her sweetly scented and silken.
 

Kai fed her fruit and deliciously sweet bread until she begged him to stop as they all sprawled on sofas and she told them of the people from Serlenn. They listened and then discussed it amongst themselves.

“I do not understand how they live without a Mistress,” Arn said.

“Yes. How empty our lives would be if we did not have our beautiful Lady to care for,” Kai replied. “And, a man left on his own is prey to all manner of mischief.”

Cassie was still amazed by their thoughts, although she had come to understand that these men truly had no wish for freedom. Even more, if they were free, they would truly be miserable and afraid.