32. Queen of Hearts

Last chapter…

Pili hit a shit wall because garlic; so no ‘atta boys (or manly banter while homeward bound).

Jahi had Maat conflictions in his pants loincloth, but tried to not have them (that counts for something, right?); also bab incoming (but don’t tell Kenza).

Raet tried to be sneaky about staring so she could have wistful inner monologue time re: hot woodworker guy, but it turned out to be more like awkward hide and go seek time, because Octavia (and her leet matchmaking skills).

Onward!

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Kenza pushed the bound man out in front of her none too gently; she wished she could make an example of him to settle her foul mood, but Apep needed the funds from his sale (pittance though it would be).

Corabella’s womb had finally succumbed to the pasty man’s clumsy attempts at fertilization, and he was now of no further use to them…at least the red headed woman seemed pleased by the development.

Kenza had considered bearing the child herself, of course, but was still fearful of retribution for the abduction of the Sima-Mighdall’s slave; it would not do to have Apep’s Warden caught unawares with a belly-full if they ended up with a fight on their hands.

The thought of him brought fresh ire to her mood, and she gave the pasty man another (possibly unnecessary) shove; Jahi had now moved into the royal suite, at the Queen’s request.  Kenza regretted bitterly ever encouraging her monarch to secure him for breeding.

‘I should have left him at that damned pyramid.’

The Queen was so preoccupied with her pet slave that she seldom left her chambers, and more than once Kenza had come face to face with a rather unflattering view of the man’s undercarriage while seeking her sovereign’s counsel.

‘Repulsive creatures, all of them.’

She gave the pasty man a third shove for the crime of belonging to the ranks of repulsive creatures; why the Goddess allowed them to be a requirement for creating daughters was beyond the Warden’s reckoning.

The only comfort Kenza clung to was that eventually her Queen would fall pregnant, and then they’d see that arrogant beast try to breath water; the time could not come quickly enough.

All would soon be well, and the Queen’s attention would belong her devoted Warden once again; perhaps then she might broach the tender subject of…something she had long been withholding.

Kenza grimaced.  ‘Would she even consider me?’

Such relationships were common enough among the Amazons of Themysimra, though Queen Maat had never given any indication of interest in her Warden…but surely Kenza was more deserving of her monarch’s love than some upjumped crossroads chattel?

‘I have been a devoted servant to my Queen, and the Goddess; surely I will be rewarded.’

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Temulun: “So it’s Maat,” her voice was soft.

Pili fidgeted, “yeah, it’s Maat.”

The Scholar nodded, “that makes sense, she was pretty hot for him as a girl.”

Pili: “That’s a nice way of putting it.”

Temulun: “I guess she feels entitled to have him…”

Pili: “Well, she’s full of shit then, okay?”

Temulun: “Pili!  She’s your Queen!”

Pili: “Fuck that, if she was my Queen she’d have come pounding on the door…er, archway…and demanded him; she stole him Tem, because she knew I wouldn’t allow it if she’d asked.”

Temulun studied him briefly, “who is your Queen?”

The question caught him off guard.

Pili: “Bastet,” he answered after a moment, “and Bastet wanted Jahi here, with you and your kids.”

Temulun smiled sadly, “I love you Pili; you’re a good man, you know that?  Your mom would be proud.”

Pili blushed and tried to brush the sentiment aside, “Jahi is a good man too; we’ll get him back, okay?  Whatever it takes.”

Temulun: “Thanks, sweetie, but if we don’t, it’s not your fault, you know that right?”

Pili shrugged, “we’d have him back already if it wasn’t for the damn garlic.”

Temulun: “Actually, I have an idea about that…but you’re not gonna like it.”

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Antonia: “So why did you become an Amazon, Cora?”

Corabella: “Hah!  I didn’t choose to become an Amazon, I was born to it.”

Antonia: “Oh.”

Corabella: “But you can become an Amazon, if you weren’t born to it; like moving from one place to another.”

Antonia nodded, “I get it, yeah…is it bad that I don’t really want to be one though?”

Corabella blinked, “why not?”

Antonia: “I mean, no offense, but I had this idea in my head that Amazons were strong, powerful, and full of justice and stuff…but you guys have slaves and kill innocent people, and it just makes me sad, and maybe a bit angry too?”

Corabella was silent for a moment, then she gave the girl a gentle smile, “you’re still young, one day you’ll understand.”

‘Bullshit I will.’

Antonia hated it when grownups tried to pull that ‘you’ll understand when you’re older’ crap; it just really meant that they really didn’t have an explanation for their bullshit, but they thought they knew better because adult.  Whatever, two could play at this game; she smiled sweetly in return.

Antonia: “I guess so…hey, congrats on the baby!”

Corabella beamed; grownups loved it when you talked about their incoming babies.

Corabella: “Thanks!  I know we need slaves, and Kenza said it would be useful for me to bear a son…but I’d really love a daughter, you know?”

Antonia: “Yeah, totally,” not, “hey, random kid question: what’s with all the garlic hanging over all the doors?”

Corabella: “Oh!  That’s to keep out the vampires.”

Antonia: “Vampires.”  Naturally.

The woman nodded, “they’re such a nuisance.”

Antonia: “Right, like mice.”

‘These bitches be crazy.’

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Pili: “I’m pretty sure I can’t do this.”

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Footnotes:

Will Kenza work up the nerve to declare her feels for Al Simhara’s most conflicted Queen?

Will Pili be able to get past the scary garlic defenses and rescue Jahi?

WILL ANTONIA KILL THEM ALL IN THEIR SLEEP?

All this, and more, NOT revealed next chapter! 😀

Oh, no, please don’t steal our garbage Mr. Vampire!
We get all kinds in Sima-Mighdall.

Vampire Garbage Thief: “HAPPY SIMMING!”