I moved swiftly yet cautiously through the jungle. Every rustle caused me to pause and focus. The hours till sunset saw me nearly two miles away from the Castle, with a stream running through a clearing. Not wanting to draw unwanted attention, I leapt into a tree and huddled up for the night.

  The morning light revealed fruit trees by the stream, so after relieving myself and drinking my fill, I filled my water skin once more, then ate my fill of fruit. I thought about making a satchel to carry some fruit, but between the time to make it, and the likelihood that the fruit would spoil in the jungle heat, I decided against it.

  Continuing on as swiftly as I felt safe, I made my way to the area where I had spotted the tendril of smoke the evening before. I found berry bushes along the way and filled my belly again each time I found anything I could eat on the go. Some time past midday, a band of Lizardmen interrupted my travel. Twenty in all, they didn't notice me until my sword cleaved through the back half of the group. I had felled fifteen before any tried to put up any sort of resistance.

  Their combat skills would surely have been an issue, but their pathetic bronze weapons stood no chance, and I cleaved the remaining five like wheat before a scythe. I again collected all the weapons I could. Inferior they may be, but still an issue for anyone other than myself. There was no hiding the Castle, so I felt no need to hide the bodies, so once I was certain I had everything of use off them, I simply left their corpses for scavengers.

  The wind shifted, and I could faintly smell smoke, but also the clash of metal. Quickening my pace, I moved towards the combat I heard. When I crested a rise, I saw two women fiercely fighting against ten Lizardmen, in defense of a very young girl. My rage boiled, and I leapt into action. I let out a cry of rage as I laid into the vile creatures. This filth that dared harm my people would find no mercy in these lands. With a slash of my blade, six of the scum died, with a backhanded attack of the flat, two went flying splattering like insects on the stone wall of the mountainside where the women had camped. The remaining three attempted to spear me, and I summersaulted, sweeping my blade to remove their heads, but not before the women had stabbed two of them with the pointed sticks they had used as spears.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The women backed up somewhat defensive until one of them saw my crown. She dropped her stick and knelt to the ground. "Your Majesty, forgive our ignorance, had we known it was you, we never would have held a weapon, even one so crude as this in your presence!" Turning to her in shock, then back to me, the other woman too lowered her stick.

  "Please don't do that. I haven't even been Queen for many days yet. As of right now, you two are the highest people aside from myself in our nation. Besides that, we need you armed and ready to travel. Take the weapons you're most comfortable with from these filth, and bundle the rest. We must return to the Castle; that little angel needs a safe place to grow into the woman she's meant to be. Whatever laws existed in the past, the only one that still exists now is that only a Woman of my blood can rule; the very land itself demands that."

  The two women rose and set to work collecting what they could from the Lizardmen's corpses. "These weapons are practically useless, nothing compared to your own sword, your Majesty. Why do you wish to keep them?"

  I looked at the first woman who spoke to me, and smiled. "Pathetic though they may be, they are weapons. Taking them from our enemies further weakens them. You having their weapons is far better than leaving you empty-handed, or with simple sticks as weapons. That, and the metal can be melted down and reformed into useful things later. Now, little one, can you ride on my back? I can move faster and carry more than these two, so it's better for you to be with me while we travel today."

  In a panic, the other woman spoke. "Majesty, surely that's asking too much of you! We do not wish to be rude to Your Excellency!"

  I scowled a little. "All that pomp and circumstance can be put off until we have an actual court to bother with. Right now, I, Regina, need to get the three of you home to the Castle, where it's at least a little safer. Come, little one, let us be off."

  Smiling, the little girl toddled her way to me. "I'm Tessa!" She said proudly. I smiled and knelt to hug the girl. Then I picked her up and placed her on my shoulders. Then I moved off back towards home. The two women, exasperated, followed, hauling what weapons they had salvaged.

  "I'm Marta, if it please, Your Majesty, and Tessa is my daughter. The Lizard scum killed her Father, so I ran away. I met Jenna on the way." I nodded at her.

  "Yes, Your Majesty, as Marta has said, I am Jenna. Long ago, my family served the Queens of the past. You wear the crown, it is said that none but the Queen's Heir can wear the crown."

  I nodded at that. "The former Queen had cast a spell, sealing a portion of her soul to help the next Queen. She said the same thing to me, but the spell has faded, and she can no longer appear from the Crown's Emerald. Even before I wore the Crown or the Armor, I was far stronger than I should have been. I have no memories of my past before four days ago, I know my name, and I know things, like how to build a fire, or what plants are food or medicine. The land itself welcomes me, and the Armor Sword and Crown amplify that power. Perhaps there are records in the Castle, but I have had no time to look." Jenna nodded, and we continued on in silence.