Danae closed her large dark eyes, and kept her sigh in check that barely left her soft pink

bow-like lips when Sparhawk, her beloved father, placed the crown of Elenia upon her head.

Her long lustrous black hair hung in tight waves that she had gotten done by braiding her hair

tightly last night. Her marble white skin flushed when all of Cimmura cheered for their new

Queen. Ehlana, Danae's mother, quickly wiped a tear away with a kerchief that nearly left her

eye, and smiled at her husband, Sparhawk.

Danae held her head high, as she wore her new state cloths. The red velvet fabric tickled her

flesh underneath, and the large ruby cloak was heavy, but she was the Queen, and she was

really the Child-Goddess Aphrael of the Styric people. Although most of the world despised the

Styric people, they had not seen her features and discovered that she was a Styric herself. No

one had called her Aphrael for a long while, except Sephrenia, her older sister who was not a

goddess.

Ehlana had become a barren, so, to save the Queen trouble for finding an heir, she had

entered the queen's womb--- not to mention that she cared for Sparhawk and had known that

he wanted to be a father. So she spared them the sadness. But of course, Sparhawk had to

ruin her disguise, and had discovered who she really was. Only Sephrenia and Sparhawk new.

Danae smiled at her people in her throne room, and sat upon her throne, and looked to her

side at the new Pandion Knight who stood like a statue of splendor.

Talen, young and handsome, was now twenty-five year's old, and was now the Queen's

Champion which had been fought for because it was against his wishes, but had it not been for

lovely Danae's fluttering eyelashes, he would have disagreed. Insisted by his Queen, Talen

wore all white, with his mail shirt underneath, of course, and a black shawl on his shoulders,

hiding his deadly sword, which was also embroidered with gold, as were the cuffs, and collar.

Pandion Knight or not, he was quiet embarrassed.

Danae heard all the good wishes her subjects prayed for her, and all the customary bows and

love, but she couldn't wait to get to her new enlarged room. Glancing at her barren mother,

she smiled, and melted her mother's heart, as she always did.

Ehlana's pale golden hair was tied back and set upon her head with pearls among the braided

strands, and the exquisite gray gown she wore matched her eyes. Sparhawk, wearing much

the same as Talen, stood by her side, and as Danae noticed, he looked old.

A sudden sadness filled her heart, threatening to drown her.

She was an immortal, and her own parents were mere mortals who were old already.

Sparhawk frowned at her, questioning with his dark eyes.

As though he had spoken aloud, she heard his concern, "What is it, Danae?"

Giving him a smile, she slightly shook her head, and looked back at the people talking to her.

It seemed to be hours later when they let her go to 'rest'. When all left the throne room,

Danae took her crown off and sighed as her father led the retired queen out of the large

golden doors with her arm around his.

Kalten and all the others followed the broken-nosed knight out, and no one was left.

With a sigh, near to tears, Danae leaned back and closed her eyes.

"What's wrong, uh, Queen Danae?"

Her eyes flashed open and she saw Talen looking down at her. She held out her hand, and

when he took it, helping her up to her feet, she looked into his brown eyes and scolded, "Call

me by name, Talen. No saying the Majesty crap. I'm sick of it!" she stated.

He threw his head back and laughed, "It's only your first day as Queen and you already

despise it?"

Briskly, she stepped down the dais, and said over her shoulder, "Well?"

"Well what?"

Open mouthed, she turned to him, "You're my Champion, and you're not going to escort me

out of my own throne room?"

"Oh," he simply said, hurrying to her side to take her hand.

Looking him in the eye once again, she said, "You don't mind being my Champion do you?"

Not knowing why, he blushed under her intense gaze and shook his head, "I don't mind,

Danae. You're like a sis---"

"Don't you DARE say that word." She cut in icily.

Before he could say anything else, the throne room opened and Sephrenia entered, "Do you

wish to walk a little slower, Danae?"

Talen noted Danae blush, "Sure, if you want me to." The Queen replied.

Sephrenia shook her head, her blue eyes flashing.

"I'm coming!" Danae laughed, hurrying to the sorceress's side, all the while not letting Talen

go.

When she came to her room, she turned to Talen as Sephrenia entered the Queen's rooms,

"Thank you Talen." She said. Turning around, she left into her room without a backward

glance.

Talen turned on his heels and then left down the corridor.

On his way down the hall he saw Kalten wandering around the halls with his large trunk like

arms around Naween's tanned shoulders. Her dark hair was open, hanging a little past her

shoulders as she nervously fixed her fancy dark blue gown. Her swollen belly and Kalten's

smiling gaze at her spoke clearly that she carried his child.

Modestly, Talen smiled.

He was the one who had introduced the whore to Kalten. But now since she was with child,

Kalten never let her out of his sight. Even though they weren't married, which was frowned

upon, Naween listened to the large blond man without question, but that gown the knight had

insisted she wear to the throne room made Naween quite uncomfortable.

Right behind was handsome Berit, wearing full armor charmingly with his wife-to-be, Vamiya,

a charming young daughter of a trusted ambassador of the Holy City. Her red hair was long

and reached her bottom, and her pale gray gown that had no sleeves, but a tissue shawl, was

tight around her youthful body that left Berit ogling after her, and not to mention her pale

snowy-gray eyes that deepened the redness of her straight hair. She was quite shorter than

Berit, but that didn't seem to bother them.

When they all saw Talen, they cleared their throats and smiled at the young man.

Talen passed them with a nod, and sighed when he was past them, and rolled his eyes. They

still thought of him as a young boy who was still stealing away in the Pandion chapterhouse.

He walked on until he found Sparhawk.

"And what are you doing here Talen?" He asked, eyebrow rose.

"D-Queen Danae went into her room." Talen replied. For an odd reason, he couldn't lie to this

retired knight; maybe it was because his mothers would kill him if he did. But he also thought

of Sparhawk as a kind of father.

That thought, of course, the young man kept to himself.

"Really?" Sparhawk replied, seeming surprised, "And that would mean she dismissed you?"

"I'm not her slave, Sparhawk." He countered defensively.

"You are now. Being the Queen's Champion is pretty much a slave with a sword. Now get back

to guard her room."

Talen growled, spun on his heels, and stormed off.

When he reached her rooms, he waited.

For hours probably, he wasn't sure. But when Sephrenia came out, he was nearly sleeping

standing up. Surprised, she turned to the Queen within the room, "You're Champion's been

standing out here for hours, dear."

Danae's voice came then, "You may dismiss him, Sephrenia."

He nearly stumbled away before the Styric women could utter a word.

This treatment went on for about a week until he nearly wanted to shake Danae's shoulders in

anger. But at the last day, he was pretty sure she saw it on his face.

"Oh Talen!" She cried, smiling, "You've been waiting all this time?" Leaning forward, she

planted a soft kiss on his cheek, "You're such a dear." She murmured, fluttering her eyes.

And, of course, when he blushed, he noted a servant smiling and walking off.

"Great." He said dismissively.

"What's great?" Danae asked, glancing at the servant who avoided looking at them.

Shaking his head, he replied, "Now all of Cimmura is going to know of this."

"Know of what?"

Looking her in the eye, he tried to see if she was joking.

But she was pretty damn serious.

"The kiss?" She asked when he said nothing.

Merely nodding, he tried to leave.

But catching his arm, she drew him close again, and rose of her toes from her soft slippers

and leaned close to him, "Just a kiss on the cheek, Talen?" She said, "Is that all you're afraid

they'll talk about?"

Nervously, he cleared his throat.

Giving him a naughty look, she gave him a simple peck upon his lips, and leaned back a little,

but he still felt her hot breath against his face, and their noses nearly touching. She

looked down at his lips and smiled when she looked into his eyes again.

Suddenly, he craved for her, and afraid, he licked his lips.

Again, she kissed him on the lips, but this time it was lingering.

Then she backed down on her feet, then turning to her room, and opening it, she looked

back at him, "Good night Talen."

Unable to say anything, he simply stared at her as she shut the door behind her.