The Adventures of Tiffany the Barbarian Part one: Star Crossed

In the depths of the world what once slept awakened, and stretched the tendrils of its influence toward the surface searching for  any soul to use as a conduit. A way to corrupt the world above and guide them to its release.

Lord Doctor Jonathan Harkness led the farmer and his wife on the path through the woods on the back half of his estate. They arrived at his private gate in the city wall and he activated the mechanism that opened the heavy gate to the lands beyond.

"Keep her bindings on her arm dry. If they get wet, change them. And change them for new bindings every two days." He told the farmer as he handed a sack to him, "there are more bindings and a bottle of tincture inside to keep it sterile."

The couple thanked him for his work and turned to make their way to the road beyond the woods, back to their farm. Before they had made it three steps the wife gasped and buried her face in her husband's arm. Before them stood an orc, tall and lithe, in hide armor and a large sword over its back. Jonathan noticed it was leaning against a tree and clutched its side, greenish tinged hand stained red with blood. He ushered the pair in the direction of the road and turned to the savage warrior.

"What do you want?" He asked, trying to show no sign of fear.

The orc raised an empty hand at the nobleman doctor and tried to step forward, "I…I'm look…" in the common tongue,  was all that came out before the orc collapsed at his feet.

He rolled the orc over and pulled up the armor to examine the wound. It was unmistakably a spear wound, and serious too. As Jonathan looked the orc over and could not help notice subtle curves and a softness of the eyes telling him the orc was definitely female. His examination was cut short by the sounds of voices and heavy steps, the town militia was fast approaching and the doctor had only moments to decide between saving a life and risking a savage monster killing him when she recovered, or calling to the guard and letting her surely die in their care, that is if they didn't just kill her here to be done with it. Jonathan put his arms under her knees and shoulders, lifting her up with some effort. She was about his own height and definitely heavier. The doctor was fit, but this strained him more than he expected. The orc had succumb to blood loss and passed out, unable to aid him in getting her to the cart he kept by the gate for critical emergencies. He loaded her into the cart and closed the gate, the voices of the guard shouting outside the vines that covered the gate just moments after it closed. He hoped they'd continue on but the conversation, now clearer this close, talked of following the blood and it stopping at the tree. Then the bell by the gate rang.

"Doctor Harkness, are you there?" Called a voice Johnathan recognized. He could pretend to not be there, but he knew if they caught up to the couple it may spell trouble.

"Justin, is that you?"

"Yes doctor," came the reply. "Have you seen anything suspicious?"

"I was just letting Farmer Smithly and his wife out, and saw a strange figure," he parted the vines slightly to look Justin in the face, "they ran off and I ducked back inside. I hope they are ok, do you think he gave chase? They were headed to the road."

"I hope as well, it was an orc, doctor," came Justin's reply. He quickly ordered his men in the direction of the farmers, and turned back to Johnathan. "Take care and make sure everything is locked up tonight Doc. Be safe." And Justin hurried off in the direction of his men.

Johnathan quickly grabbed up the poles of the cart and wheeled the orc to his manor.

The orc opened her eyes wearily, blinking at the bright sunlight that filled the room. The windows were placed high, more than halfway from the floor, and besides the bed the room contained only a few locked cabinets around the walls and a table on wheels. She found she could not move her arms, not just from weakness of muscles, but because her wrists were bound to the bed. She gave a few weakened tugs and gave up, at full strength maybe, but she was too weak right now, so she instead surveyed her surroundings. The treetops she could see told her she was on a second floor, or maybe a third. The room smelled like a brewhouse, but not for ale, more like the stiffer spirits in serious drinking places. And the rolling table held various strange tools, possibly for interrogation. And in addition to her wound, her throat was sore, maybe from thirst or something else. She was covered by a sheet up to her waist but she wasn't wearing her armor anymore but was in some kind of thin linen gown. Her armor and weapons were missing and she noted to herself that she would have to find them. And someone had taken the time to scrub her clean as well.

It was almost an hour before the section of the wall that stood out from the rest made noise and swung outward. The doctor she had been seeking stepped through and smiled when he saw her.

"Ah, you're awake." He said pushing another wheeled table inside and rolling up his sleeves as he walked to her bedside. "I apologize for the restraints, and while I'm honest that they are in part for my protection, I also didn't want you getting out of bed and opening your wound back up." He gave her a quick look over, particularly around her wound, and pulled a chair into the room to sit by her bed. "Now shall we start with a name?"

She gave him an angry look and turned her head away.

"You tried to talk to me in my own tongue before, so I know you speak it, so you must understand it, don't you?" He said calmly.

She broodily looked away from him for several moments before her shoulders slumped and she said begrudgingly, in a low voice, "yes."

"Excellent," he said, happily, "I am Johnathan, and I would really love to know your name."

She turned to face him finally, as he remarked how her eyes looked. They were brown, but they were a clear brown. They were almost amber and lineless, no spots or darker colors, like the eyes of a young doe Johnathan had once seen. "Selune." She said, curt and to the point. Her teeth, the tusks of the orcs he heard so much about, didn't seem to impede her speech. And when her mouth closed only the very points of them sat on her upper lip, not the monstrous tusks he had heard in stories.

"Selune," he repeated, "a beautiful name. I am Johnathan Harkness. But why did you come to me, Selune?"

She looked down at the bed, it seemed to be in shame to Johnathan, "the church would never heal an orc, but I'd heard of a man who healed mercenaries and humans from outside the wall that couldn't afford the 'donations' to the church for healing. I took a chance you were real." Her expression softened as she looked up into his eyes after this and continued, "I guess you were. I just didn't expect to be a prisoner!" Her tone sharpened again and her eyes returned to hostile as she tugged hard at her restraints. "I expect you will turn me over to the town militia now."

"Stop," he said softly, as he placed his hands gently on her arms, "there is no magic in my healing. Keep struggling, or attempt to get up before it heals and you will undo everything I've done. As for turning you over, I have no intention to unless you prove a threat. So why are you here, Selune, Queen of the Seven Tribes?"

Her eyes grew wide at the mention of her full title. "Yes, I know the name. The orc who united seven of the largest tribes under one banner. Although I didn't know it was you until you told me your name."

She sighed, "I was here to talk to your Barron, to assure him we would not attack your city or surrounding lands if he would not hunt us down and let my people be."

"I assume by your condition he did not agree." He said, as he lifted up the gown again to examine her bandages.

"Enjoying the view, human?" She said with raised eyebrows. The look was actually quite fetching on her. She certainly had the air of royalty in how she spoke and held herself. Minus the tusks, the point of her ears and the olive tinge to her skin, she could have been a lady in human court, at least after the bath he gave her to clean away the grime and crust that hid her femininity before. She had a stronger jaw than most human women, and her brow was more pronounced, but none of this detracted from her being lovely by human standards.

"I am checking your bandage, with all the moving you are doing I needed to make sure it didn't open again." He put the gown back in place and pulled her sheet up higher on her body. "They are fine, luckily. So he didn’t agree?"

"He didn't show," she said with a huff, "just three legions of his soldiers that slaughtered my diplomatic entourage and wounded me before I got away."

"I'm sorry," he said genuinely, "I've known baron William Harcord since childhood, I could have told you he believes everything is accomplished through power."

"He will see power, when I return to my tribes." She said in a growl.

"No!" Johnathan said, with such surprising authority that it took Selune by surprise. "Don't confuse the character of our ruler with that of the people here. Most of us are good people who just want to live our lives."

"You don't think we were just people, wanting to live our lives before you stormed our lands to set up new towns. That we just wanted to live, when your military slaughtered our people just for being on the land already. Land that was ours to begin with." She was out of breath by the time she finished. Her chest heaving up and down with the effort just to breathe and she winced as the pain of her wound lanced into her side.

Johnathan listened as she expounded the woes of her people, calmly got up and unlocked a cabinet. She heard the sound of pouring, then he returned with a glass of liquid. He put the glass to her lips, but Selune pulled away, cautiously.

"It's just rum," he said, "it will dull the pain, relax your heart rate and slow your breathing." She accepted the drink and while he poured it into her mouth he said, "I'm sorry, I know not what has befallen your kin on the plains. But if our barron is any indication of how our king carries out our 'great expansion' as he calls it, I certainly believe you." She finished the glass and he rose to place it on a shelf of the second table he had wheeled in. When he rolled back the top it was filled with plates of food. "I thought you would be hungry, I have only been able to get fluids into you since the surgery."

As the scent found her nose, Selune suddenly realized just how hungry she was. "How long have I been here?" She asked.

"Three days since you were wounded." He said parking the cart next to the bed. "When you didn't wake after the first day I had to put a tube down your throat to give you water and broth, so it may be sore." He sat on the edge of the bed and looked into her eyes, "I am here to help you, after all, you came to me. So if we can coexist in this arrangement peacefully and you can follow my directions to better heal you, then I can remove the restraints."

Selune had faced many foes, and prided herself on seeing the intentions in their eyes. His were warm, honest and genuinely giving. She nodded to him and he unbuckled the straps. He swiftly draped a cloth over her chest and tucked the edges into her gown. The table top swung on one side of the table so it hovered in front of her like a real table.

"I was unsure of your normal diet but Maisy cooked up several things for you to choose from."

The table contained various fruits, and vegetables as well as a bowl containing whatever had gotten the attention of Selune's nose. She picked up the bowl and sniffed at it. It seemed like a stew with bits of meat, some vegetables and things like stones but soft.

"Chicken and dumplings," Johnathan said with a smile. "One of Maisy's specialties."

"What are the squishy rocks?" She asked.

"Those are the dumplings." He answered, "they are kind of like bread."

This elaboration didn’t seem to clear up the confusion on her face. "Orcs don't have bread?" He asked, but it quickly made sense in his mind, they were nomadic and did not farm. No agriculture, no wheat, no bread. "Oh I see."

He made to hand her a spoon but she was already tipping the bowl into her mouth.

"Not utensil users?" He asked.

She stared at him over the bowl. When she finished she said, "I guess if you want to needlessly complicate eating."

He laughed and had to agree her way was certainly simpler. She ended up eating everything, and gave him a response of "an orc eats all that is eat-able, even if just marginally. " They spent an hour talking before he mentioned having other duties to attend to, "stay in the bed," he said as he left, "give your wound time to heal. This room is hidden, no one will find you while you recover. I'll be back often to check on you. It was a pleasure to meet you, Selune." She gave him a look that said save your charm, it will do you no good.

As the secret door closed he was met by his assistant. The elderly man wore a stern look, "this is dangerous, Johnathan. That is a monster in there."

"She is a patient, Gordon." He whispered, in a harsh tone. "She deserves no less care than anyone we help. Besides, she is intelligent and well spoken, hardly what I'd call a monster. In fact she is a queen. So be respectful." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "but if she scares you that much I will handle all her care."

Dr. Johnathan was examining a little boy later that day when he heard something thump against the floor above him.

"Oh, um, I should check on that." He smiled at the mother before turning to Gordon, "he has a throat infection, can you fetch elixir number 4 and administer it while I check on our special patient?"

Gordon frowned but nodded.

When Johnathan entered the room, Selune was on the floor, the side of her gown bright red.

"Damn!" He said, rushing to her and lifting her back onto the bed. He pulled off the gown, exposing her body and removed the bandage.she had broken all her stitches and was bleeding profusely. She looked up at him, barely conscious. "You have broken all your stitches, and lost even more blood. He grabbed handfuls of cloth from the cart and tried to staunch the bleed. Quickly he fetched the sutures and began stitching her flesh closed as she passed out from pain and blood loss.

When selune came to, she was redressed in a new gown, and Johnathan sat next to the bed, a tube was stuck into his arm and ran through a strange apparatus before another tube from it led to her arm.

"You lost a lot of blood," he said, noticing her eyes had opened, "I told you not to get up."

"I'm sorry," Selune said weakly. "Staying in this bed is driving me crazy. Orcs cannot abide confinement."

"I'm sorry," he said tenderly, "I will see what I can do to alleviate the confined feelings."

She looked at the tubes again, "you… you are giving me your very blood?"

"You had lost too much. I can spare some, and you were not making more fast enough. You are weakened, your highness," he addressed her with all sincerity, "you will eventually be strong again, but you must trust me and rest."

"Anyone who would give up their own life's blood for me, I think I can trust." She smiled weakly at him and closed her eyes once more.

The next day Jonathan rolled a new bed into the room and lifted Selune into it. The top half of the new bed was hinged and allowed her to sit up. The doctor then rolled her over to the window so she could see out. And he told her every time he came in to check on her he would move the bed to a new window, letting her feel like she was wandering the room on her own. And check on her he did, often and repeatedly. And they talked at length, and about her culture, her lands. She told him how she united seven of the largest tribes under the oath that she would never lay with a member of any of the seven. A virgin queen, serving all seven tribes, beholden to none of them. He asked if it was lonely and she told him it was the price she was willing to pay for peace. A peace eroded away each day by the human armies slaughtering orc tribes as the humans expand into their plains. The tribes wanted blood and she tried to talk peace but got a spear in her side for her effort.

"It seems I will have to attend more council meetings." He said to her, prompting confusion in the warrior queen. "I am more than just a doctor, I am also Lord Harkness. I told you I knew the barron from childhood. I had no interest in politics so I went to school to learn to heal and thought I could help the people who needed it that way. But it seems my negligence ended up hurting you and you people. I could have made Willie meet with you, broker peace, not let anyone on either side be hurt anymore."

Johnathan was practically in a rage by the time he stopped his tirade. Selune looked at him with compassion and understanding. She reached out and took his hand, "would you have known? If you hadn't had to treat me now, would you have known me to be concerned for me?" She shook her head. "You knew nothing of us before now, so now is when you should worry about what should be done. What can we do now? Orc are creatures of the now. They do not carry the past, they do not worry the future. We live in the here and now. Only the shaman of the tribe acknowledges the past, and the Chieftain looks to the future, so all the tribe can live in the now." She looked him in the eye and put her hand on his cheek, "so Lord Doctor Johnathan Harkness, what do we do here in the now?"

Over the next few days Selune improved enough to let Johnathan put her in a chair a few times a day. Like so many other things of his, the chair was on wheels. So he could push her around the grounds.

"Where do you get these marvelous contraptions, doctor?"

"I make them," he said, with not a little pride, "I have a workshop in the back of the carriage house. I don't have magic at my disposal, so I have to figure out how to make things easier."

"You have impressed your queen, doctor!" She laughed as he rolled her around the garden.

He did not laugh back, but when she looked up at him he had a far away, thoughtful expression on his face, "are you?" He asked.

"Am I what?" She asked, trying to continue at laughing.

"Are you…my queen?" He clarified.

Now confused, she asked, "what is that question supposed to mean, Johnathan?"

He paused a moment then shook his head, "nothing, I guess. Just a stray thought. Do you like the garden?"

"It is better than that room." She said, the mood lightening up again.

From the veranda, a few of the servants watched as their lord led a monster around the garden and laughed with it.

A few days later they sat in Jonathan's study, her in the wheeled chair and he in the normal one. He was teaching her to play chess, and after two games she was beating him.

"It's remarkable," he said, as she knocked over his king once more.

"It's warfare." She shrugged, "once I knew the moves of the pieces, it's something I've been doing most of my life."

He poured her and him another glass of wine, "do you enjoy a life of war?"

"It is my life," she said before taking a sip from her glass, "what else would I do, live here with you and be a noble woman?"

"Would that be so bad?" He asked, nearly causing her to choke on her next sip.

"Johnathan?" She looked at him as if he had actually proposed to her just then. "Be serious, you would share your life with," she paused as she tried to sum her point up as succinctly as possible, "with a monster?"

He took her free hand across the gameboard, "you are not a monster, Selune. You are the most amazing person I have ever met. Our people should exist together in peace. There is no reason we should not be able to."

She looked in his eyes and realized he was completely serious, "Johnathan, I can not stay. I don't belong in your world. I need to get back to my lands, they don't know I'm alive and without me the seven tribes will fall apart. There would definitely be war then, and many on both sides would die." She set the glass down, "I… I need to get back to my room, I'm tired."

Johnathan wheeled her back to the hidden room and carried her into the bed. When the bookcase that hid the room closed, Selune wept quietly. Outside Jonathan strode off to his room, passing Gordon and Maisy before slamming his bedroom door.

"That creature is a bad influence on him." Touted Gordon.

"I've known him all his life," began Maisy, "and I've never seen him like this. He loves her."

Selune was standing at the window when Johnathan entered the next morning. She stood seemingly without pain, but she did have hold of the waist level sill to support herself.

"I see you're feeling better, your highness." Johnathan said, trying to rekindle the happier tones they had enjoyed together before last night.

"Yes," she replied, still looking out the window. "When do you think I will be able to go home, doctor?"

"It's doctor now, is it?" He replied, and she turned away to keep him from seeing in her face how much hurting him this way hurt her. "You are still weak. Can you give me at least a few days to get your strength up?"

"If you wish, doctor." She said and walked back over to the bed, shakily to lay down. He joined her at the bed, "may I look at your sutures?" He asked, trying his best clinical tone.

She nodded and he lifted her gown and peeled back the bandage. The stitches were holding and the wound was healing well. Johnathan tried to fight his feelings of disappointment at how well she was progressing. His last window to keep her here was closing.

By lunchtime, Selune was walking about her room freely. Her strength was quickly returning now and she went to the door to release the latch and swung open the bookcase. The recovery room was the next space her secret room opened into. It was empty, save for one man sleeping with his hand bandaged up from a bad burn. The warrior queen slipped quietly to the staircase that led down to the first floor. The stair ended at the entry hall she had not seen before, Johnathan had used a lift room to bring her down in her chair. Art and tapestries decorated the walls, with statues and decorative armor sets lining the way to the front doors. She could walk out now and make her way back to her camp, but did she want to? The thought Johnathan set before her last night clinged to the back of her mind. Stay here, stay with him, be some sort of savage turned lady of the house, was actually tempting her. She knew it was crazy, that it could never be, yet she still found her thoughts dwelling on it. She picked at the thought as she wandered the house. The rooms never seemed to end, sitting rooms, drawing rooms, libraries, until she ended up in the servant's areas. In the hall outside the kitchen, she could hear the staff talking.

"I can't believe he has you cooking fine meals for that thing." Drifted the voice of his assistant, Gordon.

"Well, that 'thing' may end up the lady of the house." Came a woman's reply that Selune worked out must be Maisy. "So my cooking will reflect that which I have always served this family."

"The thought!" Piped Gordon, sounding insulted by the idea, "trying to woo that wild woman. He needs to marry someone of his own station."

"She's a queen," Maisy clapped back, "technically he would be marrying up." And the woman giggled at this.

"A queen! You can put a crown on a pig, but it doesn't make it a king." Retorted Gordon. "That monster can call herself a queen, but she is nothing but a savage, nothing but a bloodthirsty beast!"

Selune leaned against the wall, the battle in her heart proven ridiculous in its very consideration by the conversation she had overheard, and she began to weep.

The touch of his hand on her shoulder was the first hint Johnathan was already there. Embarrassed that he would see a warrior queen sobbing like a child, she gasped and ran back upstairs to her hidden room.

Johnathan first moved to chase after her but anger pulled him back like a leash.

He stormed into the kitchen and grasped Gordon by the lapels. He shoved the older man against one of the support beams and lifted him off the floor. Maisy screamed, and Johnathan glared at the man with eyes on fire and spoke through gritted teeth, "if I ever hear of you calling her a monster or anything else that disrespects her, I don't care how long you have served this family, I will throw you out of that gate and make sure no one ever tender you employment ever again!" Gordon's breath heaved rapidly in fear, and Jonathan's own breath was ragged with strain and rage. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Y…yes sir." Quivered the old man

Johnathan released his coat and Gordon dropped to the ground as the doctor strode out of the kitchen.

Selune collapsed onto the bed and sobbed. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how angry she got at herself for bawling like a baby the tears would not stop. She didn't understand why she was so upset, why the words she heard stung so bad when she knew that the humans felt this way about her. It was not new, it was not unknown, but it hurt a hundredfold what the spear in her side did. It made no sense. She knew the door to this world would never be open to her, but to have the door slammed in her face was unbearable.

When Johnathan arrived in the room he scooped her up and sat her on his lap on the bed, and let her cry into his shoulder. And cry she did, for over an hour, so when the tears finally subsided she lifted her head and wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry, I must seem so pathetic." She began, "I am supposed to be the warrior queen of seven tribes, and I am crying like a child."

"You are a person," he replied, lightly kissing her forehead, "with a heart and a beautiful soul. You have a right to feel and hurt and be sad when someone hurts you. But you are not hated, not by me, not while I breathe. As long as my heart beats, it will beat for you, and you will be welcome and safe." 

"I do feel safe with you Johnathan," she whispered, "but this can never be my home. I'm sorry, if that hurts you. My heart aches as well, but it is undeniable. I have a duty as queen to my people."

They looked into each other's eyes for what seemed to last an eternity. "Have dinner with me tonight," he said, finally, "in the dining room, not as my patient anymore, but as my guest. Please, if you cannot spend your life with me, give me a night to hold through the rest of mine."

She smiled and nodded her head, "of course, Johnathan, I would be honored to."

A few hours before dinner, Maisy arrived in her room with packages on another of the doctor's wheeled carts. Selune was shocked, no one but Johnathan had entered the room since she occupied it. But the older lady did not seem afraid, in fact she smiled warmly at the orc, "well, come on dear, we have to get you ready." Maisy pulled a garment from the table and unfurled an elegant dress, "it was in his mother's closet, she wore it the day she met his father."

Selune sighed, "is this not putting a crown on a pig?" She said, echoing Gordon's earlier statement.

Maisy made a tsk sound and waved her hand, "pay no mind to that stuffy old coot. I have known Johnathan all his life. I raised him more than his mother ever did, and I have never seen him happier than when he is with you. Just tell me his heart is not misplaced."

Selune hung her head, "I do feel this thing between the two of us," she began, "but I cannot be what he wants, and it hurts me as well."

"Then do an old lady a favor and let him have this one night to remember what might have been. And let an old lady have the dream of a happy ending for a boy she has loved forever."

Selune nodded with a smile and Maisy set about making her the equivalent of a queen in the human world.

Johnathan waited nervously at the bottom of the stairs, the manor was empty of patents and the staff minimal. Only those who knew of Selune's existence and were comfortable were present. She finally walked down the stairs and Johnathan beheld a vision of beauty. But for a few features, she would not have been out of place walking among the lords and ladies of a palace. But these features were not appalling to him, he felt now he would never again be able to look at a human woman and felt she could compare to his queen of the orcs.

"How do I look?" She asked, smiling nervously. She wore an elegant green gown with patterns woven through it with gold thread. The gown stopped at her shoulders, and her raven hair was brushed and falling over her left shoulder in spiraling curls and braids. Her face was painted in the manner of fine courtesans and Maisy had hung fine jewelry on her.

He took both of her gloved hands as he helped her off the final step, "beautiful enough to shame a goddess, my queen."

"You got that right," she said with a smile.

He led her to the dining hall and set her down to his right. Maisy served a soup, Selune picked up the spoon and dipped it in the bowl only to have it all run off by the time it reached her mouth.

"Why do you people complicate eating?" She said, frustrated in a low voice.

Jonathan cleared his throat to get her attention and smiled as he picked up his bowl and sipped it like a drink. She followed suit, and they both laughed as they finished. "I think I agree with you, that was much easier."

She fared much better with the fork, stabbing the food to bring it to her mouth.

"Look at you, your highness, using utensils and everything."

He poured wine, they ate and they talked. Lost in peaceful contentment, discussing their lives and families, avoiding politics, and war, or that they would soon part, as her people lived happy only in that they were together in the now.

As dinner wound down, Johnathan got up and took her from her seat to a drawing room. He opened a chest on a table and inside sat her sword and armor. She took them out and examined them.

"I had an armorsmith in town repair it." As she noticed her hides looked new. "I told him I bought it as a show piece and wanted it restored, so no one suspected it was yours."

She smiled at him and placed the armor back on the table. She then took up the sword and unsheathed the wide blade. With dazzling dexterity she spun the blade in her hand. She had it whirling around her body as she began to move with equal grace, and was soon in a dance with the weapon. She spun, she leapt and twirled in hypnotic fashion that Johnathan could not take his eyes off of. She sheathed the sword when she was finished and placed it down on the table.

"Thank you, this is perfect." She smiled.

"We are not done yet," he smiled as he clapped his hands twice.

A woman entered the room holding a violin. Slightly pointed ears poked out of her red hair, and she dressed in traveling leathers. She moved to the side of the room and tapped her foot twice before drawing the bow across the strings. A beautiful melody poured out of the instrument and Johnathan offered Selune his hand. She smiled, biting her bottom lip and took it as he whirled her into a dance. They swayed and twirled to the music, smiling, laughing and gazing into the other's eyes. They danced for several songs until they were both breathless. As the last tone faded pressed his lips to hers and although she knew she shouldn't, her heart wouldn't let her say no and she kissed him back.

Johnathan handed the bard a small sack that jingled, and she exited the room. He led Selune back up the stairs to the hidden room where Maisy waited to undo Selune and return her to her gown.

Before that he wrapped his arms around his queen and kissed her cheek, "thank you," he whispered.

"No," she replied, "this is so wonderful, it is I who is in your debt."

And he took his leave for her to be readied for bed.

Later that night, the door to Jonathan's room opened and a figure entered. He awoke to see Selune standing over his bed.

"You asked before," she began, "if I was truly your queen." She smiled as tiny tears formed in her eyes, "I am. As you are my lord doctor, my Johnathan. And your queen wishes to repay you with the most precious thing she can give." Selune slipped the gown over her shoulders and let the garment fall to the floor. Even with the bandage still on her side she was the most perfect thing Johnathan had ever seen in his life. She crawled into his bed on top of him, and he remained silent. "You asked if my life was lonely, it is. I am forbidden from lying with any member of the seven tribes, but you are not of my tribes. So I will know your touch and know and remember for the remainder of my days what love feels like. I feel for you the same as you feel for me, and while I am heartbroken we will not be together, after this night our hearts will never be apart. They will beat as one forever, and our love will endure." She kissed him deeply and gave herself to him.

Johnathan was not inexperienced, he had visited the brothel a few times in school, with his boisterous classmates, this was not like that. Those women were submissive and concerned with entertaining him. His queen was commanding, knowing what she wanted and taking it, and it was the most enjoyable experience of his life. And after, they lay together till the sun rose, entwined and as one in more ways than just in body.

She was redressed in her hides, sword across her back, when she met him at the bottom of the stairs. She wrapped her arm in his as they walked out to the stables. He gave her a horse he purchased just for her, the fastest the livery had. They walked it to the gate at the back of the property and they shared one more long kiss before she mounted up and rode away.

Selune was bundled in her furs inside her tent, tears once again streaking her cheeks. It had been six moons, and she had finally settled the tribes, just barely convincing them that there was no need for retaliation against the walled human city. It had not been an easy task, a strange orc shaman had been able to ingratiate herself into the tribes in Selune's absence, and had been stirring up their anger towards the humans. She called for war, preached of conquest and taking back the lands the humans had stolen. When Selune had arrived the shaman's tone changed dramatically, immediately supplicating herself to Selune's wisdom, and claiming their anger was based on the assumption she had been killed with the rest of her envoy. Her tone change seemed to reflect that she did not have the majority of the tribes in her sway yet, Selune thankfully had many loyal subjects in the tribe, and held sway over them still. But her heart still ached for her lost Johnathan.

Keelsa, her own shaman entered the tent, causing Selune to sit upright in surprise, exposing her swollen belly.

"Cover that up you stupid girl," she scolded, "You know you were supposed to remain a virgin, and if the tribes find out you are crying over that human we are finished. I did not make you a queen for you to ruin it all this way"

"Mother!" she sighed, throwing her furs over her bump and wiping at her tears. "I am not supposed to lay with any member of the seven tribes, and Jonathan is a member of none of them. And I love him, mother. He is the most amazing male I have ever met, human or orc. I am happy to be carrying his baby."

Keelsa examined her belly, then closed her eyes and placed a hand on it. "It should have been born already, if it were an orc child. We can’t keep hiding you in here, you haven't left this tent since your hides stopped being able to hide your gut. I must be born soon, and even then we still haven't decided what to do about her."

"Her?" Asked Selune with a smile.

"Yes," said her shaman mother, "all signs point to it being a girl." She looked at her daughter with disappointment, the once fierce and terrifying queen of the orcs, wearing a doe eyed smile and rubbing her belly. "After she is born, you will secret her away to her father. He will…"

A warrior entered the tent, forcing Selune to quickly cover up her bump again, "my queen! Dalzia wishes an audience with you." He stated, bowing his head and placing a fist on his chest while dropping to one knee. This was fortunate for Selune, as it was likely for him to have not looked at her when he came in.

"Yes warrior, give me time to prepare myself and I will be out." Said Selune, commandingly.

"Now what do we do?" Asked the old shaman. "If you go out there they will surely notice your condition."

Selune walked to her trunk and pulled out her winter furs. It was nearing the time for the frost, and there was a chill in the air tonight, so maybe she could pull off the over-large cloak. Selune wrapped it around herself and slung her sword over her shoulder. She then raised her eyebrows at her mother and walked confidently out of the tent.

Dalzia waited outside, before a large gathering of the orcs. Selune stepped out and drove the point of her sword scabbard into the soil like a cane. She had both hands atop the pommel and stared daggers at the upstart shaman.

"This had better be good, Dalzia. You interrupt my sleep."

"You seem to be sleeping a lot, my queen." Started the other female with a bow. "In fact, you have not been seen outside your tent in weeks."

"So," Selune replied forcefully, "I have things to attend to, plans to make. Being the queen is not easy."

The interloping shaman smiled, "some of the tribe feel you are hiding something. You return without your entourage, weeks later, you don't call for retribution against the humans…"

" retribution will only escalate the problem." Selune shouted, interrupting the woman, "they kill us, we kill them then they kill more of us and so on. And if we attack the walled city the king's militia will wipe us out. It's what they are waiting for. The baron may have betrayed our meeting but I have met humans who are sympathetic to our plight, and are working to end our persecution. I only ask for time to make this happen. We want peace! Both our peoples do."

"You sound awfully cozy with the humans." Childed the shaman, "on which side do your loyalties lie?"

The sword zinged out of the scabbard, it fell to the ground and the point of the blade hovered in the woman's face. "My loyalties are to my people, which often includes the prattling of fools calling for battles we cannot win!"

Selune had taken a step forward to threaten Dalzia with the sword, in that motion her cloak had fallen open a crack letting the instigator see inside and notice her swollen womb.

"You are with child!" Dalzia screamed, "you have broken your oath as queen!"

Selune stepped back, quickly drawing the cloak closed but the damage had been done. "I have broken no oaths. I have laid with no one of the seven tribes."

"Then who is the father? It has been six moons since your return!" Dalzia pushed, slowly stepping towards the now panicked queen.

Selune squeezed her eyes closed as she looked down, "he healed and cared for me after the baron's betrayal. I owed him. He is working to undo the baron's actions and broker peace from his side." She did not truly know if Johnathan was doing this, but he said he would before she left and she had to trust him.

"It's human!" Dalzia practically growled this statement, as if Selune had said it was a demon. "We must cut it out and destroy it!" The shaman drew a dagger and advanced on the queen. Dalzia barely had time to step back from the whizzing blade that nearly took her head off, yet still slashed across her cheek, passed between the open teeth of her mouth and exited the other cheek. The shaman turned and fell to the ground, scrabbling away and howling as blood poured from her eviscerated mouth.

"No one will touch my child!" Growled Selune like a mother bear. Her celibacy vow was not totality of her claim as queen, selune had won the right to vie for her station in combat. Every warrior present knew her skill, her power, her ferocity and now the rage of a mother protecting her child was heaped on top of all that. No one wanted to take a single step towards her.

Selune's eyes were wide in shock as the arrow plunged into her shoulder. The orc that lossed the shot was a loyalist of Dalzia, and he knew facing Selune in martial combat was a death sentence. So pragmatically he settled the problem from a distance. Selune's eyes returned to burning rage so hot they nearly glowed red. The indignity and dishonor of attacking her from a distance was unforgivable, but no one rushed to her aid, no one objected, but neither did they rush in to finish her. She barely moved in time as the next arrow sped toward her. It stuck in her stomach, just above her womb. He was aiming for her daughter as well. She could fight and take many of them down with her, but they wanted her baby dead as well. Left with no choice, Selune turned and ran. The archer sunk another two shafts into her back, at her shoulder and hip as she ran.

"Kill her!" Came the garbled scream of the shaman.

Selune managed to put two fingers in her mouth and whistle as she continued her loping run. Her concern for her child sealed her fate. The rest of the tribe howled and surged forward at their former queen for showing cowardice.

Firebrand had heard her signal. The black horse with its red patches reared up and charged the ropes of the corral. The stallion leapt over the barrier and dashed to its mistress.

Dalzia's assassin scored another hit on her thigh as the horse Johnathan gave her arrived. It bent both of its front legs and bowed its head as it slid in the grass to her, allowing her to roll over its head and neck and hold on as the horse sprang back up. It dashed away from the roaring hoard as Selune slipped the sword into the sheath on her horse, just as a final arrow plunged into the center of her back. She slumped against the thundering horse and whispered, "take me to my Johnathan. Quickly Firebrand." Then the mighty queen passed out.

The sun was setting as Lord Doctor Johnathan Harkness arrived home. As soon as he was in the door he picked up a vase and hurled it down the entry hall. It shattered on a suit of armor sending it clattering to the floor, and screamed in frustration. "He just brushed aside every argument as if peace was a child's fantasy. He didn't even bother, again, to listen to the advantages of a treaty with the seven tribes."

Gordon walked up to his lord as he slumped down onto the floor and buried his face in his hands. "This will take time sir." He said with all sincerity, "hearts and minds are not changed overnight. You are trying to rush this over your feelings for a woman you knew scarcely longer than a fortnight."

Maisy had begun picking up the pieces of the destroyed decor and broke in before Gordon stuck his foot in the tact of the situation, "I know the sooner you have a treaty, the sooner you can see her again." She piped at him, "but you want a well forged, lasting peace you can enjoy with her without worry."

"You are right," he sighed, standing up, " you both are. I can try once more at the next council meeting."

The conversation was interrupted by the back gate bell, its tone rang out repeatedly and consistently. It was still ringing when the three arrived at the gate, as the vine covered entrance swun open it appeared a horse had the rope in its mouth. A lump of hides and fur was draped over its back, blood running down its sides.

"Firebrand?" Questioned Johnathan, out loud as he ran to his back and whipped back the cloak to expose, "Selune!" Hurriedly he led the horse inside, "Gordon prep surgery, the main room, don't bother with the secret. Maisy, when we get to the house please take care of the horse. I'll  get her on a table and bring her inside. Hurry, hurry!" He cried as his assistant dashed off.

Johnathan worked for hours, he cut the shafts from their heads just to be able to remove the heavy cloak. And when it fell to the floor with a blood soaked splat, he beheld her swollen belly.

"Sir!" Snapped Gordon getting his head where it should be.

They both worked feverishly removing arrowheads and trying to stitch their wounds. Gordon pointed out what the doctor had already feared, "several of her vital organs have been pierced and she has lost most of her blood."

Without thinking he ordered, "prep for blood transfer," but Gordon shook his head.

"The amount she would need would kill you too." She said with genuine sadness.

"Jonathan," came a weak voice from the head of the table.

He stepped into her vision, "I am here, my queen." Tears blurred his eyes, "Hold on, my love. Please hold on."

"Johnathan, my Johnathan, please don't worry about me." She pleaded weakly, "please save the baby." Her eyes finally managed to focus as she looked into his, "please save our daughter."

Maisy automatically ran out to get the birthing cart as Johnathan smiled, the tears streamed down his face, "our…daughter?"

She nodded and gave a weak smile, "please save her, she is the embodiment of our love, and I regret nothing that led to her."

Her last breath escaped her throat as her eyes dimmed and faded. Maisy practically collided the cart with the operating table as Johnathan buried his face in Selune's hair and wept.

"Jonathan," cried his housekeeper, "the baby! You must save your baby! You're the only one who can."

Lord Harkness steeled himself, wiped his face on a rag and set about cutting into the belly of the woman he loved more than life itself. He skillfully split her womb and reached in to retrieve a tiny infant, pink skinned and perfect with tiny points to her ears. And still, so very still.

"No," he cried, setting the infant on the table. He opened her mouth and cleared any fluids before gently and firmly pressing on her tiny chest. "Please," he begged, "please not her too."

Suddenly a sharp sputtering cough erupted from the small girl, followed by a wailing cry. Johnathan wept and laughed simultaneously as he picked up the baby and cradled his daughter in his arms, all that was left of his barbarian queen.

"What will you call her, my lord?" Asked Maisy.

"Tiffany," he said with a smile, "I will call you, Tiffany."