I remember the day Sam came to join the Royal Guard.
I could say it was because she was the first girl squire we had in my lifetime. Or because she was my age. I could say a dozen things and they would all be pieces of the truth. But the real reason, the main reason, is because from the first day I saw her I wanted to kiss her.
I'm not someone who goes around kissing or even wanting to. I had no experience with kisses outside my family. And my only experience with kisses that were not sweet parental pecks were from my brother, the Mad Prince.
His attentions were a burden I was forbidden to scorn. Because he was the king's heir and his whim was law. So I learned to run very quickly and spend my time hiding in any cubby I could fit in at a very young age.
I was like a ghost in the palatial hotel that functioned as our palace in these modern times. Making myself scarce whenever possible: never being seen, but seeing everything I could. Trying to turn anything I saw to my advantage.
Not the most royal of behaviors, maybe even the least. But I had to take care of me. No one else was going to.
And that was how I ended up in a vent under the eaves when Sam arrived. It was clearly once home to birds but there were about two dozen feral cats that lived on the grounds and in the abandoned wing of the hotel. Since they were both physically and magically discouraged from being seen in the hotel proper they had long since taken over any hidden areas they could fit into. So they might move freely through some walls and in the crawlspace between attic and roof.
They used that particular area as a catwalk and place to catch birds. But it was narrow with no places where it widened in this section they might turn into a den like they had in other areas. So they just passed through. Because of that it didn't have the catty odor some of the areas picked up and just smelled of stone and mortar dust for the most part.
The large formal dresses I was required to wear were far too large to fit in the crawlspace. Although I was able to navigate handily unencumbered.
For that reason as my maids were fond of saying I ran through bloomers, slips, and camisoles more than twice as quickly as any other lady in the nobility. Dicelina and Geuixmera, my maids, and perhaps my two closest friends, (as much as maids can be friends with their ladies); were very good about covering for me when any clothing questions came up.
Whether I was hiding from my brother or adventuring in the number of castle passageways, I could count on their discretion.
Dicelina had one of the quickest minds in my father's realm. Although no one gave her credit, except myself, because she was a maiden and barely on the cusp of her womanhood. And Geuixmera, though she was dim, was frightfully tall and strong. Before coming to castle service her job, on her family's farm to the south, was wrestling bulls to the ground that they might be gentled with a red hot blade for fattening or draftwork.
I knew how lucky I was to have such a pair. Closer than sisters and each with unique skills that were still believed the balliwick of men in faerie culture.
This ignorance of female talent and their low birth was the only reason I was able to retain them. If they'd been born with that most male of organs, Dicilena would have been trained to steward a manor or even royal manse and Geuixmera would have been taken, forcibly if need be, into the King's guard.
If Geuixmera had been the same in every right but of fully non-faerie blood, rather than mixed, by birth, she might have squired in the castle that day instead of Sam. But faerie lasses were not permitted to even consider such vocation because it is unseemly. So I was lucky in every way.
I certainly felt I deserved it after the poor luck I had as a daughter born into the family of the mad prince. A mad crown royal who desired me, though I was his own sister. Parents who indulged him in every whim, who saw my only value as marriage fodder to cement an alliance.
However, unfortunately for me, we had the only noble house still in existence. With all the other High Races extinct, assimilated into us, or gone the egalitarian way of the humans, were nobility and serf were no longer separated.
The Western Court, that sat on the Pacific and ruled fae on that side of the Mississippi, were forever our rivals and a joining of the Houses would not be permitted.
Our European cousins were out of the question. The High House, the Court of the Faerie Queen herself, liked us to stay where we were placed.
She said she had no respect for any fae who had no roots and loyalty to their native soil.
The fact that her grandmother had sent our families here over three hundred years ago to conquer native fae and establish the East and Western Courts didn't fit her words, or her will, and so was never mentioned.
This meant there was no marriage I must be saved for. I would eventually be given in marriage to one of father's highest and strongest vassals. But for such a union I needn't be entirely pure as long as I was only sullied with a touch noble enough to actually increase my value in certain circumstances. Like the Crown Prince.
Father's closet attendant courtiers were already tying themselves in knots trying to get my father's attention sufficiently to warrant such a trophy.
The new squire was the talk of the Court by the end of that first day. Not only because she was a girl but because she was a mystery. Like all women who chose to join the guard, she was tasked with defeating five champions chosen from the existing guard. Instead of the one champion a male is challenged with.
These challenges are fought in the Courtyard with hundreds of curious humans in bleachers and milling around taking pictures and the fae of the Court watching in a more dignified way from balconies above.
Sam came to us at Court with no family or recorded lineage.
She fought and beat the challengers set for her without significant effort and joined the guard at the rank of squire. I watched the challenge from a hidey hole and believe she could have beaten them all at once rather than in succession, if required.
No one even knew her Clan. She answered all inquiries, "My House and blood are loyal servant to the House of Valentine in general and my Princess Catarina in particular". The Court mages claimed they were unable to read her race in her aura. They said it was clearly very powerful but specifics evaded even their deepest examination.
The Fae as a whole had plenty of dissent within. Since no other lineage blood may lay claim to any rank higher than 'honored servant', most beings of power kept their heads down and didn't bother with the affairs of Court.
They would follow our laws out of practicality because as the strongest lineage magically, we could compel obedience, and once you have even see that, let alone felt it, you have no interest in another taste. This left us obeyed but resented by most other clans.
So there were those who questioned her use of 'my princess' rather than 'the princess'. But fewer than thoseconfused by her singling out my near worthless self by name.
It was a simple and minor matter of semantics, and wouldn't have been noticed if she wasn't so cloaked in mystery that the gossip mongers were clutching at any straw that passed their grasp. No one thought for a moment she might mean it in a proprietary way even slightly. It was common terminology in our Court, which she had clearly come to join, for whatever reason that may be.
Even with a guard command that looked down on her and thought her at best a curiosity at worst a freak. And tradition against her. It was only six months until she was promoted. From squire to knight errant. What was once called a knight bachelor.
I kissed her once on each cheek in congratulation, as is tradition for princesses to do with knights. And if it wasn't the kisses I've had feverish dreams about since the first time I saw her, it was something. I'm pretty certain she felt it too.
I was hoping that she would be set to protect my person. I think she was as well, since she did single me out as the particular reason she had come to serve. But I heard my mother gloating to her maids and ladies about how she would be the first queen beside the Faerie Queen herself who actually had a distaff knight. It was both a status symbol and a safety concern to have a guard that could remain in one's bedroom rather than outside the door. Little did she know that her hopes would soon be dashed.
That night we had Sam's Accolade of Investiture, A formal feast celebrating Sam's knighthood. The only feast she would be welcomed at until she became a Knight Commandant, unless she was working.
Sam had the wherewithal to invite me to dance. This would have been and was seen as normal maidenplay and completely above board for a fast song. Although strictly as royalty I should ask her. However there was quite a bit of murmuring when her Accolade Waltz was announced and she approached me. Distaff knights are used to rumors and rudeness. Generalities such as they all lay only with women. And I did not have value enough beyond my title to have the luxury of taking notice of such things. Especially since I now suspected laying with her was my fondest wish.
I did hear my father say. 'If she serves well, she can have her for all I care. That will be a novelty"
To which my brother replied, "I would like to see that."
So I danced her Accolade Waltz with Lady Sam. She seemed nervous and only made the briefest of small talk.
That was acceptable to me. I was so giddy with delight, I probably wouldn't have been the best conversationalist anyway.
Then the Lady withdrew and didn't ask me to dance again for the rest of the night. However, she didn't dance with anyone else either. She sat by herself, rebuffing the attention of her cadremates and the few nobles who were brave enough to try. I would say from her behavior, that her shyness had overpowered her. Except there was no way I could inspire such a reaction.
When it became clear that she wouldn't be asking again tonight, I turned in early and retired to my room.
I had spent about an hour raving about the beautiful Lady Sam to Dicelina and Geuixmera as they got me ready for bed, when my brother walked in.
Apparently even common courtesy, such as knocking on a lady's bedroom door is beyond him. He knows I can't refuse him, but that's not good enough, he must also show that everything that's mine is his.
Geuixmera stepped between us without it seeming like she was doing so, seemingly just going about her duties. She was almost my brother's height and there was no doubt she was in better physical shape. The prince wore the weight of his indolence with pride. But he was the Crown Prince and anything more protective than stepping between us would not be tolerated. Even with that little bit, she needed to be careful and not appear to be interfering.
"Well are you going to tell your maids to leave. Or do you think they should stay and learn something. Because let me tell you, they'll learn nothing from you. You just lie there. It's like laying with a dead fish." My brother, the Mad Prince, said.
When I tried to send them away they both argued that they had too much work to do and really must remain. I knew they were just saying that to protect me, and sadly my brother did as well and immediately put a stop to it. Yanking the brass bedwarmer from Dicelina's hand and beating them both with it. Knowing Geuixmera could not retaliate. I'm certain that he didn't worry that she might snatch it back from him.
They both ran from the room and my brother followed them to the door throwing the bedwarmer after them and hitting Dicelina, I would guess from her cry of pain. But he had the door closed again before I could see.
I began to try to unobtrusively sidle toward the opposite wall. Trying to keep as much space as possible between us.
"Surely you know better than to make this hard for me. It only makes it hard on yourself." He said.
"You don't need to do this brother. Like you said, you get no pleasure from me. I'm bad at it and too stupid to be trained. You've said so yourself." I said, still backing away.
"Yes, but Father said perhaps I could just take your maidenhood and get it over with tonight."
My brother had taken his pleasure on me many times. Whether it be relieving tensions on my body with his fists or in more intimate and less speakable ways. But he had technically left me a virgin. Because my virginity might be the only value I had and our father didn't want it spent to no purpose.
But to hear my brother talk, maybe father had decided even that was worthless. I continued to back away. "What did he say exactly. That you may do what you like with me? Or that perhaps you may do what you like with me? Because, he has said perhaps before and had you come to me with big plans. But if you hadn't been interrupted and you had violated my only treasure we would have both been whipped for me losing it. Do you remember that?"
He looked smug and snide when he said, "Don't be so dramatic. Violated. Violated? I wouldn't need to take it from you if you offered it to me like a dutiful sister and loyal subject should, to her future king."
"Neither of us would like that, brother. Because I would hate being used by you and I know you would hate taking pleasure on a woman you didn't beat into submission first. Would you even be able to get hard with a willing woman?" I said. I don't know where I found the bravery to taunt him. That really wasn't like me.
He finally grabbed me and said, "I could if you warmed me up by putting on a little show with that girl from the guard. Maybe you should send for her."
"No brother, I won't be responsible for bringing another woman with in your reach." I said pulling away from him.
He made another grab for me and missed. "You will if I tell you to. I saw the way you looked at her. The way you danced with her. You want her. You want her and the only way you'll ever get her is if I allow it." He tried again and caught my wrist, digging his nails into me.
"No, I will not call Lady Sam for you!" I screamed, yanking my wrist from him again and leaving some skin under his nails.
My chamber door burst open then and Lady Sam stood there, saying, "You won't need to, Your Highness."
I'd never been called that before, by anyone except my maids. What happened next was also a first for me. Someone stood up for me. Not a clandestine pretending to be doing something else way, like Geuixmera or Dicelina did when they could. But directly. She ran toward us saying, "If your hand touches the princess, I will take it from you."
This got my brother's attention, "You dare speak to me like that? Leave this place freak. Abomination. Do you wish to die on the night of your Investiture? If you give me no more trouble tonight I will not kill you or have you killed. Right this minute I'm offering you no more than flogging to falling at dawn. But it won't be long before I add banishment to the list."
I mewed in the back of my throat accidentally as I drew into myself squirming at the thought of Lady Sam whipped until she couldn't stand.
But she was uncowed. "If you want me thrashed, Prince, I think you'll have to do it yourself." She shrugged and wiggled her arms like I'd seen men do, to get loose before a fight.
But after the movement, she was several inches taller, almost my brother's height. She had a hump of muscle, like a bear's, between her shoulders at the base of her neck, large enough to stretch out her shirt.
She spread her arms and began to move between us. Taking a few steps to the side before reversing the other way. This sort of gave the impression of circling my brother like men do before they fight, but without ever leaving me unprotected.
I could feel the pressure in the air as the Prince drew his power and attempted to use his glamour to control her mind. "Kneel." He commanded.
Sam smiled a little, "Not tonight or any night, Prince."
He lifted his hand to her. His power so thick it visibly distorted the air around him and his hand began to shimmer like a trout in a stream. "Kneel before your future king."
Sam reached out and took his shimmering hand in hers and pushed it down. "Your title is Prince, Prince. Don't try to trade on the respect you might one day command."
The Prince looked a little nervous. Now he lifted both hands, holding them up just wide enough it was almost like he was taking her head between his hands from three feet away. "I command you to bow before me."
Sam was a little taller now, properly the Prince's size and she had most of a full beard of long silky fur like an pashmina goat which was visibly on every bit of her exposed skin. Her face was a little more beastial as well. Maybe a bit of boar, a bit of ape. But she was still perfectly understandable, if a little rough, when she grabbed a wrist in each hand and twisted his two arms in two different directions. Making him bend at the waist in pain as she said. "Bow like this, Prince?"
"Guards, guards!" He screamed. Finally met with an opponent who he couldn't glamour and who was clearly unimpressed with his rank he called for help without even trying to fight. It would seem he liked to think of himself as a braver man than he actually was.
And now I was pretty sure I knew my lady knight's heritage. Too bad she would die before I had a chance to investigate my theory and what it might mean.
She kneed my brother hard in the face as he screamed for the guard bent over and held by his arms. He dropped bonessly to the floor.
"My only wish is to protect you, Your Highness. But I can hardly do that dead. My initial plan was to get to know you and suggest we escape for the west coast, Because what safer place for you is there? Than in the bosom of you Mother's rival?" She smiled thinly. "I must run tonight if I want to live. Which I do. But I cannot compel you to join me and would not if I could. But I ask humbly if you will."
I didn't even need to think about it. "Of course I will, my Lady. But I must ask, what is a Hound of the Gods doing as a Court Guard?"
"The proper term is werebeast. Especially for me, as I have clearly not taken my vows. And I would gladly tell you my story. But this is neither time nor place." She motioned toward the door where the sound of a number of booted feet could be heard running.
I took her hand and led her to the servant's entrance behind a decorative screen. "Let's leave through here. Servant's stairs go from here to my maid's room and then there is a hall to the kitchens. This way if we run now and don't stop. We might be gone before the alarm is sounded and the palace locked down."