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  Instead he visited her once or twice a day, chatting with her as if she weren't locked up in a cage, talking about his customs and traditions as if she were a revered guest, and slipping compliments here and there. He had given her comfortable and suitably elegant female clothes, allowing her to change into them without him watching – and he had taken away her tunic, breeches and chain mail from the very first day. Once a week a wooden tub filled with hot water was brought inside the cage for her bath - and again she was left alone to enjoy it.

  He looked at her in a way that left her dizzy and angry at the same time, and she didn't know how to get rid of him. In spite of all the attentions and apparently civil behavior, she was still a prisoner. Only he visited her in the cage, and the servant who brought her meals wasn't allowed to talk, or even look, at her.

  "So tell me, how come you call yourselves Amazons?" he asked one day, sounding genuinely curious.

  "Our first queen, Amazonia, said we were all her children," she explained proudly.

  "Oh, yes, the queen who lived two hundred years," he smiled. "How do you think it's possible?"

  She shrugged.

  "She was the daughter of a goddess," she said.

  "And you think that a goddess actually graced a man with her body?"

  "Why not. We do need men to reproduce."

  "And what were you called before the birth of the Queendom of Maadre?"

  "Maadrians. We were scattered tribes with common roots. Amazonia united us. Through the centuries the Daughters of Amazonia shortened their name to Amazons."

  "So the Maadrians became Amazons." He pondered, sipping his wine.

  She didn't like the way their conversation was heading, so she decided to counter-attack before he asked another stupid question.

  "What are your origins, Keldar? Where do the Kelvans come from?"

  "The kingdom was born from the ashes of the Moren Empire," he answered. "After we got rid of the Magical Races... which makes me wonder. Maybe they ran away to your lands and created the Queendom of Maadre?"

  "Magical Races?" she asked, puzzled.

  "Yes, they're long lived," he smiled. "The Genn are back in the lands of the Varian Empire nowadays. They're all blond, with pointed ears... I hear all the Amazon queens are blonde, maybe Amazonia was a half-blood?"

  "I don't know about that," she replied, nervous at the thought of a logical explanation to her country's most famous myth. "Some queens had to wash their hair with camomile every day to be blondes."

  "Of course, your men aren't all blond, and the magical blood has been diluted through the centuries. But Amazonia was a natural blonde like you, wasn't she?"

  "So they say," she grumbled.

  "So you can't rule out the fact that maybe she had Genn blood," he said, looking satisfied about his own conclusions.

  She wished she could reply to that, destroy his own myths and legends, but she had nothing against them. And she didn't know much about the Magical Races, so she was totally at loss with words.

  "It's not a bad thing," he continued. "I mean, the Magical Races are not only long-lived, but also possess real magic. Although I guess there isn't much left in you... Maybe I should invite a Genn here to help you find your roots, what do you think?"

  She glared at him. She knew her roots, she didn't need him to tell her who she was! She had enough of his talk, so she turned her back on him, deciding to ignore him. But he embraced her from behind and she could feel his body against her back.

  "How did I offend you?" He sounded sweet and humble, and she didn't know what to think anymore. "I thought I was treating you with all due respect."

  "I'm not one of your courtesans, so stop flattering me," she said bluntly, trying to free herself from his arms. She managed only to allow his hands to slip on her breasts.

  She gasped while he brushed her neck and shoulder with his lips. Slowly Keldar forced her to turn around and gave her a long kiss. Dazed, she let him do what he wanted. Prisoner and charmed by his tenderness, she allowed him to get what he desired, enjoying his touch more than she wished to admit.

  Coming back to her senses when all was done, she was overcome by a wave of rage. If only she still had her knife, she'd cut his throat there and then! But she wouldn't allow him to see how humiliated she felt. She composed herself as her hatred for the man who had killed Notturno augmented. If only her body weren't so weak...

  He opened his eyes and noticed her frown. He smiled and caressed her cheek with one finger.

  "Are you still mad at me?" he asked.

  "If you think you've won my heart, you're wrong," she shrugged.

  "Of course, you hate me more and more," he teased. "I know, my beautiful queen, in your words you're still my enemy, but you belong to me now."

  "You have seduced my body," she said icily, "but I don't belong to you. My Favorite is better than you in giving me pleasure and I love him."

  "Your Favorite is dead," he retorted. "I captured you because you actually had a funeral for him! So much for allowing him to be also your bodyguard and soldier. You should have left him in your Apartment."

  "He had Gladiator training and refused to stay at Maadre," she grumbled, her heart aching again at the thought of her loss. "He has been by my side until that axe ripped his chest."

  "I had to have you, my beautiful queen, and would do anything to get to you."

  "You cheated, you said so yourself, but still I don't belong to you."

  He scoffed, but soon had to realize she hadn't surrendered. He had her body, more than once, but he hadn't tamed her. Still, he managed to impregnate her, and she had no way to avoid pregnancy. She wasn't happy, but gave him the news, observing his reaction - just as mild as when she turned him down or insulted him. Sometimes she really admired his self-control, she could never drive him mad to the point of physically hurting her. And she could be mean when she wanted to, in spite of her sweet face and usually gentle manners.

  "If you agree to marry me, your son shall have a father," he said, serious.

  "I'm a Daughter of Amazonia, Keldar, I don't care who my daughter's father is," she reminded him bluntly.

  "Amazonia is long gone, and you're only a queen," he said. "You're a prisoner of a foreign king. It seems to me it's a humiliating position."

  "It is because you make it so. If you treated me like a male prisoner it would be less humiliating!"

  "But you're a woman, and that's the reason why I captured you," he smiled. "Besides, I had asked you to marry me."

  "I will not marry, Lord of the Kelvans, now leave me alone!" she snapped.

  He bowed and left.

  Jessamine wanted to scream and cry, but she wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

  ***

  Ileana watched the children play in the nursery of the palace with a frown, caressing her own round belly: she was expecting again. The Kelvan ambassador had told the council that Jessamine was pregnant and she would probably soon marry King Keldar. The council was considering discharging her and crowning Morwenna in her place - although Morwenna herself refused the responsibility. She wanted to enjoy her Apartment, not having to worry about a whole country.

  Ileana had talked to Theresa who was as depressed as her. She had no idea of how to free Jessamine and the council wasn't really helping. If someone else (or even Keldar himself) attempted an invasion, they'd probably succeed, as nobody was leading the country. Theresa was a priestess, she knew nothing of war, and the three generals kept fighting among themselves. The men of the army had been sent home, and again it was all female.

  Ileana wondered where she could find help to free her friend and bring her back to her home country and her children. Although she was pregnant too, from Carino again, therefore she couldn't move around much.

  Carino joined her and put one arm around her shoulder.

  "News?" he asked.

  "Jess is pregnant," she grumbled. "She's going to surrender."

  "What can we do for her?" he wondered, worried for
his sister.

  "Nothing. I don't have a ship, nor women, or I'd free her myself. Those three witches are too busy fighting among themselves to come up with a decent plan of action. If I had Oriana's ships and Stella and Chiara's army, I'd know how to use them!"

  "You have friends, though. Even if the old ladies ignore you, we could find somebody else. Why don't we visit, I don't know, Clelia? Antonella? I can help with coaxing..."

  She smiled fondly at him - he was still gorgeous and knew how to please. He loved her, but was ready to give himself for the safety of his sister and the good of his country.

  "Who is going to look after the children while we're gone?" she asked. "Notturno is no more, my mother is too old..."

  "They have their nannies and servants," he replied. "They live at the palace. And your sister can take care of them better than Morwenna. Besides, I don't think anyone wants Jessamine's place..."

  She put her arms around his neck.

  "Then I will have your new baby, and we'll be off," she decided. "But I hope in the meantime the council finds a way out for Jessamine!"

  "We can always hope..." he smiled.

  ***

  Jessamine gave birth in her cage, and Keldar stayed by her side, serious and silent. At first she thought he had come to humiliate her again, but soon understood he only wanted to support her. Exhausted, she thought his behavior was strange: he was a man and a king. He wasn't bound to assist his prisoners, slaves or concubines, when they gave birth. Why he had decided to be present baffled her, but she was too tired to inquire.

  His cuddles were welcome after the pain, and he looked so crazy about her, that she surrendered and agreed to marry him. She got out of the cage to go into the king's bedroom as queen. But a queen of the Kelvans, with no power, no voice, no rights - not even to dress as she pleased. Male clothes and chain-mail were forbidden to her. In many ways she was still a prisoner of that man who now called himself a husband.

  The firstborn was a boy, Kalvin, the second a girl, Nives, and Jessamine started to get used to her husband and new life. Cut off from her country and her friends, she gave herself up to the loving man who was now at war with the neighboring Sannish Kingdom. Jessamine didn't know who attacked first and didn't really care. It was her "husband's" business, and sometimes she hoped one day he wouldn't come back from the battlefield.

  Two years after their wedding, Keldar captured Aster, prince of the Sannish and brother of the Varian Empress. The young man in chains was brought to the great hall, but refused to submit. Jessamine admired the courage of the young warrior who was only a couple of years older than her. She wondered if he had been ambushed like she had been, or if it was just the outcome of a battle for the unfortunate prince.

  Aster wasn't handsome, he had black curly hair, blue eyes and post-battle bristle. He was bold and wild like a barbarian, and she knew he'd die rather than kneel before Keldar. When speaking among themselves, their dialect was hard to understand for her, so she could only stare at the prisoner, wondering what was actually being said between Aster and Keldar.

  She didn't say a word in the great hall, but later went to see him in his cell. When she entered, he looked up and stared at her with both adoration and desperation, and waited for her to speak first.

  "You don't like Keldar, do you?" she asked.

  "I hate him."

  "Why? It's not only because he's trying to conquer your lands, is it?"

  He hesitated, but didn't avert his eyes.

  "True," he said. "But he has you, and I can't stand it. He took you by force when he wasn't even worthy to kiss your feet." He spoke slower now, trying to use her mother tongue so she could understand him.

  She stared at him puzzled, but he was looking at the little barred window now.

  "My brother-in-law thinks I'm crazy to consider an alliance with the Amazons," he continued. "He won't save me, not even for Reika's sake. I doubt he still loves her like he used to. The Imperial court corrupted both." His accent was very endearing and she was happy to discover they could communicate so well.

  "The Varian Emperor poisoned his brother to take his place," she said sharply. "I doubt he was corrupted afterward. I'm sorry for your sister who tied herself to such a man."

  "It was an excellent alliance." Aster smiled ruefully. "These things happen a lot in kingdoms ruled by men."

  "I know, but we Amazons hate it."

  "That's why I never dared tell you my admiration."

  She didn't comment, but decided to keep an eye on the prisoner who had made such a bold declaration of love. Maybe the two of them could escape. Maybe they could call on the Varian Emperor. Or maybe they could console each other, who knew. Jessamine didn't love her husband, but the Sannish prince had touched her.

  ***

  Ileana had given birth to Oro, and as soon as the baby could be nursed by somebody else, she had left the palace with Carino, moving around the country and abroad, first with Clelia, who owned a shop at Maadre and had introduced them to more traders than they could remember, then with Antonella, who owned one of those fast ocean-riding ships with black sails so typical of the Queendom of Maadre.

  They had practiced foreign languages, talked to Kelvan traders and were more updated on Jessamine's health than the council or Morwenna. When war exploded between Sannish and Kelvans, Ileana and Carino went back to Maadre thinking now would be a good time to strike and free Jessamine.

  The first bad news from home was that Theresa had passed away during their absence and the new High Priestess hadn't fully grasped her duties yet. Or rather, she was very careful in all her decisions, therefore very slow, and if she could stick to tradition, she would apply it to the letter. Except Jessamine's situation was something new that needed quick action.

  Then the council led by Morwenna didn't seem too keen on raising the army again. After all the country had been at peace, albeit queen-less. Why waste more lives in an overseas campaign that might end badly anyway?

  Frustrated, Ileana went back to her friends who couldn't believe their ears. Clelia gave her the money to hire a captain of a warship, Antonella said she'd take her and as many women she could gather to the Kelvan Kingdom to free Jessamine right away.

  They spread the word of the two-ship rescue expedition, asking for volunteers, as Ileana didn't have the power to summon the army or the navy. They discovered many lower grade officers of the army weren't happy with the generals' policy and gladly took their leaves to join them.

  Soon the two ships were armed and ready to go, their black sails eager to catch the fastest wind. It would still take months to get to their destination, and two ships couldn't possibly beat the Kelvan fleet, but it was a beginning.

  ***

  Keldar wanted to break his enemy and tortured the heir of the neighboring kingdom, hoping the old king would surrender. He had no idea his wife took care of the prisoner, comforting him as soon as the warder finished his job.

  Aster didn't court her, but looked at her in a way that warmed her heart. Jessamine fell in love with the prince who adored her in silence, and one day she kissed him. Thus they became lovers in the dark cell while Keldar had to deal with the Sannish, who, in spite of the capture of the heir, refused to surrender and threatened to call the superior army of the much bigger Varian Empire.

  Jessamine thought her heart had died with Notturno. She was surprised to feel it again next to Aster. Even if the prisoner was always crushed, unshaven and in a sorry state, his mix of boldness and tenderness reminded her both of Notturno and her brother Carino.

  She was very happy to tell him she was pregnant.

  "You have a husband," he said, serious.

  "I didn't allow him to touch me since you were captured," she replied. "His caresses disgust me now that I've met you."

  "What will he say when he finds out? He's a cruel man, Jessamine, I don't want him to hurt you." He sounded worried and she embraced him with love.

  "He can't hurt me more than he already did," she
whispered in his ear. "Don't worry, Aster, we'll be all right."

  She was in love again, and nothing else mattered all of a sudden.

  ***

  "You're pregnant?" Keldar frowned. "How did that happen?"

  "How did it happen before?" Jessamine said innocently.

  "I don't think its mine."

  "You've lost track of time, dear."

  He glared at her. He remembered perfectly well when the last time they had made love had been. The day before Aster's capture. Since that day, his wife had found the lamest excuses to keep him away. Too taken by the war, he hadn't insisted. But now she was pregnant. And he was almost certain he hadn't done it.

  Again he was present at childbirth, sullen. The baby girl had blue eyes like him and her mother, but the way Jessamine looked at her... she must be somebody else's daughter! Jessamine had used her new half-freedom to find a lover and cheat on him. How dared she?

  "Who is the father?" he demanded.

  "You, dear," she answered without looking at him. She was too busy adoring her newborn.

  "You liar!" He exploded. "I haven't touched you in months! And you've never looked at our children like that!"

  "All right, she's not your daughter," she shrugged.

  "Who is the father?" he repeated through clenched teeth. He'd beat that name out of her if she didn't say it. His famous self-control that made him look icy and more threatening than his foes was about to break.

  "Aster." She looked him in the eyes at last, challenging him like she had done in the cage. "Because he didn't force me, he respects me, and he loves me."

  "What? Guards! Bring Aster of the Sannish, now!" He had been patient with her. But enough is enough. She'll see what he could do. His wounded heart hungered for a bloody revenge now.

  Soon enough Aster was thrown to his feet. Keldar kicked him in the face, splitting his lip. Pitiful prince, how could he touch his precious wife? She must have gone to him, as he was locked up!