June 25th, 1636, In the sea outside Feplan

  The sea was calm. The water swayed, and the waves danced gently as the Kohinoor cut through the oncoming waves, like a knife cutting through skin. Her sails were unfurled as the winds were in her favour, allowing them to run the engine at low power and save fuel. The wind currents weren’t constant, and the need for extensive research and mapping in order to map the geography of the new planet was acutely felt by the ship’s crew.

  “So what do you think, doctor? About the land dragons – that’s what they were called, right?”

  “The land dragons? Yes, what about them?” Dr. Sehgal looked at Rajdoot. The man had stayed as mysterious and unreadable as the day they embarked on this voyage, and occasionally caused the doctor trouble as he tried to comprehend him.

  “You were one of the people who got to take a good look at the big boys that the Navy so royally screwed up. Any juicy insights, any ‘top-secret’, game-changing advice you can, you know, share?” Rajdoot spoke with a grin.

  “Insights, huh.” Dr. Sehgal seemed to contemplate for a moment, staring out into the sea. “Well, where do I start, hmm.” Then, as if light bulb lit up in his head, he spoke. “I think I know something you might be interested in.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “See,” Dr. Sehgal began. “these land dragons, they are rather interesting creatures. They are like very large and giant crocodiles that have somehow managed to evolve at a level that we would ordinarily, deem ridiculous.”

  “I’m not a biologist, doctor.”

  “What I am trying to say is – why do you think the land dragon is what it is? Why is it so large? Why does it have armour so tough it can shrug off small arms fire?” Dr. Sehgal paused for dramatic effect with a grin.

  “Why, I wonder?”

  “It’s because these is something far bigger and badder out there which forced it to evolve in order to survive. You know what that means? Bigger guns, of course. That’s what it means.”

  “Coool.” Rajdoot said, clearly impressed. “I didn’t know you were cool like that.”

  “I’m still a man. These bones may be old and weak, but not the soul. I’ve seen far stranger things than these, boy!” Dr. Sehgal laughed.

  “So that’s why you signed up for this trip?”

  “Of course! I’ve would have died staying in that stupid air-conditioned cabin of mine if I had hesitated! You know these young ones, worried to death about my health and what-not. Day and night it is nothing but ‘did you take your meds papa’, or ‘are you alright papa’, and tons and tons of pills and drugs. So one day I decided enough is enough. I’ve done all the teerth yatra a man my age can do, and now I shall go live life the way I want, and go out Bollywood-style if I must.” Dr. Sehgal returned the grin. He wanted to make it clear that Rajdoot wasn’t the only one out for mischief and adventure.

  “Better pack some big guns then, doctor.” Rajdoot flashed another grin. The radio on his shoulder buzzed, followed by the one on the doctor’s shoulder. The radios were secured to their kurtas and concealed under the pagdis, including the earpiece and the mic. When not in use, the radio could be concealed snugly inside the elaborate garments everyone wore.

  Both heard the transmission at the same time. It was from the bridge. Rajdoot seemed to listen intently with a grave expression, as if the mischievous expression from before was but an illusion. Then he put down the radio, and the grin returned, shattering that fleeting image of a stoic-looking man that didn’t know what humour was. “Looks like we’ve reached our destination, doctor.”

  Both made their way on the upper deck. Unlike the ships from the era which the Kohinoor was trying to pretend to be, the deck was calm and remarkably silent – if silent meant the absence of hoarse shouting and complete chaos, that is. There was still noise on the deck, but it was calculated, cold, calm. Sails had been raised long ago, and now fluttered proudly in the sea breeze, casting long shadows on the deck like oversized palm trees. Guards – Major Solanki’s operatives – stood tall and proud, tall spears in one hand and their round shields in the other, their faces concealed. The only indication that there was something more to these men was the way their spears were slightly tilted inwards, as if ready to discard the long and ugly spear and bring up some other weapon.

  Captain Chaudhary was on deck already. His costume had been based around the idea of a Maratha ‘surkhail’ – the ‘Grand Admiral’ of the Maratha Navy. It had been an absolute pain trying to mesh together all the different outfits and dressing styles from different parts of India together in a coherent manner. All for psychological warfare against a bunch of poor magical monkeys, of course.

  As Rajdoot and Dr. Sehgal approached, the captain turned to face them. The bizarre image of a Maratha commander straight out of a time machine talking coolly with a radio did not faze him at all. Rajdoot had been on the sets of many a Bollywood movie to have become so accustomed to such a spectacle. Maybe one day the natives they were going to persuade would be like this as well.

  “Suprabhatam, we’ve finally got guests coming to greet us. Or rather, we’re coming to greet them, since we’re the ones arriving.” The radio buzzed and Captain Chaudhary put it to his ear, nodding. He put the radio down in his pocket. “We’re about fifty or so kilometres away from the coast. It should be coming up on the horizon any time now. One of the Navy escorts reported two contacts heading our way. Don’t know if they’re aware of us, or if it’s unintentional. Doesn’t matter anyway. They’ll see us soon enough.”

  He led the two to the railing at the starboard side. The ornamentation on the broadsides glistened brightly under the sun, contrasted by the obsidian-black steel below it. If one squinted hard enough, one could barely make out a faint, dark looming grey shape appear over the horizon. Two more shapes could be seen, standing taller than the grey mass on the horizon.

  “Got word from the Navy, by the way.” The captain said, leaning on the railing. “Apparently this area used to be full of traffic. Then we came, and Vishwadwar happened. The Navy began picking off a few big ships, and all of a sudden, the sea is haunted now.”

  “If you don’t mind, captain, but we’re fifty kilometres from what we know very well is their capital. Isn’t that a bit too close to for an unknown ship to be undetected and not be intercepted yet?”

  “Maybe they’re being cautious, maybe they really are dumbasses. We’ll see, Rajdoot.”

  As the Kohinoor inched closer, the dark shape looming over the horizon became more and more apparent. The dark grey haze gave way to many shapes and lines, drawn all over the horizon, slowly coming into view like a very slow running slideshow. The two dark shapes from before materialized into view as well, turning out to be two ships. They were clearly much smaller, with just one sail and rows and rows of long paddles on each side. From the distance one could easily spot the water being churned as the rowers paddled with all their might. Against the Kohinoor, the local ships seemed clumsy. They possessed not a fraction of grace that the Kohinoor did, and moved around awkwardly and slowly in the water, trying to line up with the approaching titan.

  The coast was now in full view. It was impressive. The pointy-ears surely knew how to build a beautiful city. Glistening marble buildings rose up from the ground, occupying the majority of the portion of the visible city. Surrounding them was a mass of smaller but even more numerous smaller buildings. Only when the Kohinoor came closer did they become capable of appreciating the full scale of the capital city.

  Rajdoot whistled. “Look, here come the pointy-ears. All ready for some mehmaan-navazi.” He commented as the native ships sailed closer. They were now in visual range of each other, and the natives on board those ships could be seen waving at the Kohinoor.

  Rajdoot looked over his shoulder. The ship’s engines had been shut off quite a while ago, and the security detail had assembled on the deck. The gun ports were open and kept on standby. Nobody had forgotten what the pointy-ears had tried to do when they first met. Unlike then, the elves were going to be much closer, and there would be nowhere near the same firepower to foil them.

  Everybody was on edge. Rajdoot could see that very well. With every inch the native ships moved towards the Kohinoor, the spears in the operators’ hands tilted by another degree, already to throw away the spear and shower the native’s flimsy fishing boats with five-five-six ammunition. The less experienced civilians members were already drenched in sweat due to the tension. Dr. Sehgal had a frown on his face as he unconsciously tapped his feet. Rajdoot stood regally, unconcerned and unfazed.

  “Just another day for you, isn’t it?” The doctor joked in a quiet voice. Rajdoot simply smiled, watching the slower ships pull up alongside the Kohinoor. They really looked a lot like outrageously decorated fishing boats designed by someone with poor tastes. They were also noisy. Hoarse groans of the rowers echoed through the empty seas in a haphazard but nonetheless synchronized manner, getting mushed in the cacophony of sounds on the deck as the elves scrambled to greet the newcomers. A few, well-dressed elves were already on the deck, looking up at the strange people in the massive ship looking down at them. One of them called out.

  “Who is the captain of this majestic ship!”

  “I am.” Captain Chaudhary replied. He didn’t let the elf finish. “This ship is called Kohinoor. We come from the Republic of Bharat on a diplomatic mission. We wish to speak with your leaders.”

  The elves seemed to confer amongst themselves for a moment. Rajdoot stared at the elves holding the bows and charging their magic. The latter was more interesting, and he could already hear a few murmurs from the people around him as they pointed at the magicians – or wizards, whatever they were. Just like the guards in the security detail, they too were tense, more visibly so than the Indians.

  The moment seemed to drag on for eternity. Finally, one of the elves turned towards them, and spoke. “We know not of any republic you speak of. How do we know you mean us no harm?”

  “If we did, we would not talk to you, and you would have been one with the fish by now.” Captain Chaudhary replied. His words rang a bell with the elf, who had been clearly rattled by the sheer size of the ship in front of him. He had seen the singular cannons on the larger flagships of the navy, and how devastating just one could be. This ‘Kohinoor’ in front of him had a whole army of them lined up on just one broadside, and with how large it was, the elf didn’t have it in him to think about the other side also being lined with these same cannons. Swallowing his fears, he replied.

  “Very well! I shall dispatch a messenger to the port. They will decide if they wish to accept you, till then you must accompany us. Do be warned, however, that they may also reject your proposal, and you alone shall be responsible for your fate then.”

  “We accept. Let your Queen know of our arrival.”

  The elves got to work, and the noise on the deck increased once again. The second ship broke off from the formation towards the mainland, its rowers once again ploughing through the water at full strength. The two ships stood, floating in the water, with an awkward silence in between them. The ‘silence’ was more of a relative term, since the individual ships themselves were still noisy. Both the elves and the humans stared at each other intently, studying each other’s features and judging them silently. By now, it was clear to the elves that the newcomers were humans, though much different from the ones they had fought and vanquished before. Something in the way they carried themselves irked and unsettled the race purists among them.

  The magic was eventually extinguished, but the bows remained tout all the way when the other, unnamed elf ship finally returned. The humans’ proposal had been accepted, and they had been granted an audience with the Feplarian Queen herself. It came as a surprise to the elf captain, but nonetheless he complied. Nobody disobeyed a direct order from the Queen herself.

  Quietly, the Kohinoor sailed alongside the smaller ship, which guided into the port. By now most of the Feplarian Navy had been roused, and now multiple ships of varying sizes and shapes surrounded the massive steel-hulled ‘warship’. The local population had come out of their doors and peeked out of their small windows to gawk at the massive ship pulling into port. There was enough chatter about it, and many fingers were pointed at the ornate designs on the ship’s hulls and its gun ports. The Kohinoor was quickly becoming the talk of the town.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Notice something?” Captain Chaudhary spoke. Rajdoot turned towards him. “Hmm?”

  “These piers are far too big for the ships they’re using.”

  “I know.”

  “These are big enough to be able to accommodate a whole-ass merchant ship here. And that isn’t wood those piers are made of, that’s stone.”

  “They’re a bit of a special case, if you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I can see that already.” The captain spoke as he waved a group of young pointy-ears pointing and shouting at the ship. “By any chance, do these pointy-ears happen to be man-eaters?”

  “No? I haven’t heard of anything like that. Would be interesting if they were though.”

  “Please don’t say that. I don’t want to imagine all these people trying to hunt us down for dinner.”

  “They do love slavery, though, so I would say you exercise some caution.”

  “Very encouraging words right there.”

  “Oh thank you, I’m considering becoming a motivational speaker after this, you know.”

  “I don’t think anyone would be interested in listening to you. Standup comedy though, might just be your thing.”

  “Thank you for the insights. You think these pointy-ears would appreciate some ‘live, love, laugh’ in their lives? I think they could use some, they look rather tense every time I see them.”

  “Do they even have court jesters here? I don’t think they’d take so kindly to a normal man cracking a joke on their Queen, though, so please don’t do that.”

  “If that’s the case then all we have to do is make the Queen laugh at the joke, right? Or at least smile. She can’t take offense to the joke if she finds it funny, you know?”

  “We’ll see. Are you – nevermind, you always seem ready for anything. I think it’s time we lower the gangplank and prepare to depart. Let’s go.”

  The Kohinoor eased to a stop right beside a pier. A delegation of dark elves could be seen approaching the pier, surrounded with armed guards carrying long spears and wearing chainmail armour. The delegation stopped cautiously as the gangplank was lowered, and the Indian team began trudging out carefully.

  Rajdoot was at the forefront of the group, flanked by two operators with their faces covered. Dr. Sehgal and a few well-dressed assistants followed behind, all flanked by armed operators. Major Solanki himself accompanied Rajdoot, walking astride with him.

  “Welcome to the Holy Land of Feplaria!” An old man stepped forward from the elven delegation, his arms outstretched. The other elves in the group were taken aback, but none dared to impede him. He had a long, flowing beard and carried a large, ornate, flashy walking stick in his hand, the top end of which was enlarged and had a large crystal embedded in it. A vibrant smile was plastered on his face as he greeted the approaching Indians.

  Rajdoot stretched his arm muscles forward, intending to perform a traditional namaste with both hands closed. But the old elf was faster, and before he knew it, Rajdoot was standing in front of an elf performing the most immaculate namaste he had ever seen.

  “Namaskar. Is this how you greet in your land? Your reactions tell me my memory may have gone rusty, however.”

  Rajdoot quickly shook off the shock and flashed a wide smile as he shook his head. The other Indians in the group, along with the remaining elves still watched on with wide eyes as he continued.

  “Oh no, not at all, it was perfect. Yes, that is exactly how people in our land greet each other. I am interested in knowing how you would come to know that though, since I would like to believe this is the first time our country’s peoples have come face to face.”

  “I would gladly oblige with all the questions you would have, but how about we step into some fresh air first? I assume you would be tired by the stale air of a ship, no?” The old man returned the smile as he commanded with one hand the group of elves, and with another invited the Indians to follow him.

  The group slowly walked towards the royal palace. There was a clear sense of unease amongst the two groups. They maintained a constant distance between themselves, which got shorter and shorter as Rajdoot and the old elf exchanged pleasantries and diplomatic sweet-talk. It seemed first contact was going well.

  “Mr. Rajdoot, I must say, that is quite a magnificent ship there. What might be the fair lady’s name?”

  “Kohinoor. It’s named after a legendary ancient jewel – a diamond, that we lost to time, and then ultimately recovered. A work of art, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “She certainly is pretty to look at, quite a timeless jewel. I would suppose your craftsmen have the hands of the gods themselves. I am sure they craft more than just art.”

  Rajdoot smiled. This trip was proving to be far more interesting already. “Yes, yes they do. If my country so permits, I might be able to even show you just what they can achieve.”

  Arc Mage Onas gave a hearty laugh. “Do ask your superiors to consider this proposal. I would like to see for myself what the hands blessed by the gods themselves can do.”

  “Sure, sure. I will.” Rajdoot replied. They had now finally reached the royal palace. A proud structure of marble and stone stood imposingly in front of them, with a round dome above. To the causal observer, it seemed like a mix of a European cathedral and a mosque. All around the palace gates stood armed guards, standing stoically, their bodies still as stone, yet their eyes locked on the newcomers. Rajdoot could feel their gaze on him, watching every small movement, looking for signs of hostility. Just like the guards with him, they were trained men, ready to kill and die at a moment’s notice.

  “Your arrival in our country has come at such an important time. Many things of historical importance occur as we speak. The wheels of time are cruel; they wait for no one.”

  “Cruel indeed, Though if you do not mind,” Rajdoot asked. “What are the ‘things of historical importance’ that you speak of?”

  Arc Mage Onas smiled. “You shall see with your own eyes soon enough. Now come, the Queen is not fond of waiting.”

  With a rumble, the giant palace gates swivelled open, revealing an ornate hallway. Guards lined each side of the hallway, holding giant spears. Sunlight streaked through the windows, illuminating the interior with golden sunlight. The whole palace had a sort of utilitarian feel to it; it was lavish, but just barely so.

  “As you can see,” Arc Mage Onas explained as the group walked through the hallways. “You can glimpse the entirety of the city of Feplan from here. It is the largest and most beautiful city these tired eyes have ever seen. I can gaze upon it for eternity, and yet never get tired of its beauty.”

  “I agree. Quite a beautiful city.” Rajdoot acted genuinely impressed. By the standards of this country’s industrial level, such a large city shouldn’t even be possible. Magic really does change things significantly. One could only wonder what else it could truly do for a country like India.

  Finally, they reached a large, heavy-looking door, which looked far bigger and important than the others. The guards flanking it were better armoured, and at a nod from the Arc Mage, they stepped aside, and the door began to open.

  Here it was finally, thought Rajdoot. The royal court. Rows of smaller seats flanked a long, purple carpet leading to the throne, which was set up on an elevated platform higher than the rest. On it sat a woman. Chocolate-coloured skin, long shiny silver hair, sharp eyes. Pointed, knife-like ears, twitching ever so slightly. A myriad of necklaces and jewellery adorned her neck, which in the bright sunlight, seemed to glow. Rajdoot realized that the glow was not unintentional; the necklaces were deliberately worn, or at least arranged, in such a fashion that the glow seemed to cast a halo around the woman’s face. Most likely magic was also involved – it was hard to tell at first glance. But it was effective, he had to admit.

  The woman was flanked by dozens of elves in lavish but comparatively far-less eye-catching outfits of various kinds, and sat with an air of importance in the large chairs flanking the long purple carpet. A set of chairs had been placed on an elevated platform near the Queen’s throne, albeit lower than her own throne. These were occupied by a different category of elves: blonde hair and with cream-white, pale skin. These stood out with their long, brightly-embroidered red coats and gowns. As Rajdoot cast a glance towards them, he was met with an amusing sight: their faces were red, and they looked like they were about to throw a tantrum, blaming him as the cause of all the world’s problems.

  The woman eyed the group of Indians stepping into her royal court. Unlike the humans she knew, these ones held themselves upright and proud, and seemed unfazed by the mass of armed and clearly hostile elves around them. It was obvious it wasn’t naivety; they wouldn’t have turned up in such a massive and heavily armed ship otherwise. She had seen the ship slowly slip into her port, had seen the rows of gunports directly staring her in the eyes, and wondered what would happen if they opened fire all at once.

  Arc Mage Onas stepped forward. “Fellow elves of the proud nation of Feplaria, these people, these guests,” he pointed at the Indians. “these are the ones who, just mere moments ago, had been assumed to be mere figments of delusion and childishness.”

  Rajdoot struggled not to whistle in amusement. This Arc Mage really didn’t fuck around, he thought. It hadn’t even been an hour since they stepped off the ship, and he was already moving things in fast-forward. Rajdoot decided at once that he liked this man. He could be a very useful asset for the Indians.

  “Preposterous!” Somebody shouted. Everyone’s head immediately snapped to the source of the sound. It was one of the blonde elves. So they did snap, after all, Rajdoot mused as the blonde elf in question jumped up from his seat and jabbed a shaky finger at the Indians.

  “You dressed up castrated monkeys just so you could add a little weight to your delusions and fool us all proud elves! Have you gone senile, old man!” The elf’s high-pitched, almost feminine voice sounded grating to Rajdoot’s ears, but he let it slide. His annoyance had been overshadowed by amusement, and now he couldn’t control the smile breaking out on his face.

  “That is a rather harsh judgement, Shreeman…what might your name be, if you do not mind?” Rajdoot coolly spoke.

  The blonde elf turned even redder. “Silence, animal! Do not talk with the superior being in that tone!”

  “Oh, forgive me, where are my manners?” Rajdoot joined his hands in an immaculate namaste. “Namaskar, Mr. Angry-Elf. You may call me Rajdoot. Diplomat. That’s what it means in our language.”

  “You..” The elf finally snapped. Before anyone could respond, he had already jumped from his position and stomping towards Rajdoot. And before he knew, he was staring down the barrel of a gun.

  Without a second thought, Rajdoot immediately nudged the Major beside him. The major’s stance eased up – so did the rest of his operators. Rajdoot was no amateur. He could handle this very well. Still with his hands clasped together in the namaste position, he stared the angry elf in the eyes.

  “See this, you uncivilized monkey! This is the tool of the gods! Wielded by superior beings! What would you monkeys kno-”

  “Your stance is bad.”

  “W-what..?” The elf was jolted from his angry rant by the human in front of him. He felt a chill down his spine. He looked just the same as he did a moment ago, frustratingly unfazed by the High Elf’s gun. Now, something felt off. His eyes were the same, so was the ugly smile on his face. But something was off, and the elf couldn’t tell what. The tone in his voice, perhaps? No, it sounded just the same to him.

  “That’s a very good gun, shreemaan. Nine-millimetre, semi-automatic, box magazine with at least eight or ten rounds. A very good gun – in a very bad hand.” It was then that Horith realized what it was. It was his tone. No, his entire personality. He saw a man, burning with rage and endless hatred, writhing and struggling to get out and consume the elf in front of him, yet skillfully held back by a thin, tattered cloak of civility, through which the burning hatred peeked hatefully, staring down with an eerie calmness at the sorry excuse of a ‘man’ standing in front of it.

  “You’re not the only one packing heat here, shreemaan. Look at you, you didn’t even chamber a round in the chamber, and your hands are shaking so badly that even if you did and let off one right now, you’d still miss.” Rajdoot leaned in closer, and the smile on his face vanished. “We won’t.”

  Horith staggered back. It was as if somebody had dumped a bucket of icy water on his head, and he suddenly felt a lot calmer. And afraid. Grunting in frustration at his incapacity of intimidating a human, he scampered back to his chair, much to the silent chagrin of the rest of the High Elves.

  The entire court was silent. They had watched the events unfold in front of their eyes, and were left dumbfounded and shocked as they watched the High Elf’s back as he cowardly scampered back to where he was. Sensing this, the Arc Mage cleared his throat, and spoke.

  “Now that we know for sure that our cherished, age-old beliefs are not merely delusions, let us continue. These men, they hail from the land of ‘Bharat’, as we know. They come with peace, and wish to talk like civilized equals.” He turned to the Indians. “Would I be right in assuming that?”

  “You are absolutely right. We are a firm believer in the idea of peace and harmony. It is written in our culture and mandated by our Gods that we treat every man, woman and child we meet with compassion and kindness. We would expect nothing less from those we consider civilized.”

  “Magnificent.” The Arc Mage turned to the Queen. “Your Highness, do you accept these guests?”

  “Your Highness!” A voice thundered. It was Commander Thalanil. “Forgive my insolence, Your Highness, but I have concerns regarding these newcomers, concerns which are related to the safety of our nation and our people.”

  “Speak, Commander.” The Arc Mage didn’t wait for the Queen to respond. She said nothing.

  “My heartfelt gratitude, Arc Mage.” He bowed, then turned towards the Indians. “You may or may not be aware, but many of our ships passing through the western seas have disappeared. Our land there was swallowed up by unknown forces we know only as ‘demons’. Our people are afraid to sail in the very seas they knew so well by heart, and now you have sailed all without effort with such a large ship from the very same direction.” He stared hard at Rajdoot. “Would you happen to be aware of the fate of our precious brethren?”

  Rajdoot stared back in his eyes. This elf was not joking. This was a tricky situation. Obviously he couldn’t tell them that they bombed the dark elves to hell and back and then occupied their islands. At the same time, there was no way he could wriggle out of this one. No, he decided, even if he could, it would be ultimately pointless. He cast one glance at the Arc Mage, smiled, then spoke.

  “Yes, we do.”

  Commander Thalanil’s eyes widened momentarily, before he immediately composed himself. “What conditions are they in?”

  “Unfortunately, they are no more.” Rajdoot faked sadness. It was a flawless performance, a perfect mix of bureaucratic detachment tinged with just enough of latent, genuine concern. “We came across a set of islands which were burning and under attack. We tried to help, and rescued a few dark elves, but their injuries were too grievous, and none survived.” The latent, genuine concern turned into latent, fake anger. “We fought the attackers and they turned out to be a bunch of pale elves with golden hairs and red gowns. Many escaped with their ships, and are still at large as we speak. We have been unable to dislodge these criminals since then, and have lost many a good man and fine fighting ship trying. These maybe the people behind the disappearances of your ships and people.”

  The High Elves in the room almost did shoot at the Indians this time, but stopped short when they remembered what had transpired mere moments ago, and had to stay content with fuming with anger. Commander Thalanil seemed to nod in understanding, and then turned towards the Queen. “Your Highness, pardon my insolence, but it was necessary to know the fate of our people; it was for the safety of the nation. I have no more questions.” He bowed.

  The Queen got up from her throne. Her long, slim legs outstretched in a seductive yet na?ve fashion, and her dress stuck to her body, emphasizing the curves that made her the subject of the silent fantasies of many of the male elves in the court and country. With one outstretched arm, she pointed at her assistants. “Gather the best cooks in the country, and prepare a feast for our guests. Attend to all their needs – whatever they may be.”

  Rajdoot did not miss the glint in Queen Yaereene’s eyes as she peered directly into him.