I enter the courtyard of the palace and begin to survey the row of young men lined up before me.

Bryce looks at me as if seeking a sign of approval. "Promising. You did well."

"I thank thee." He nods and follows me down the line to make note of who I accept and reject.

I had been doing this for almost 5 months now. While my two best friends, Mikayla and Barry were excellent company, I still found myself lonely at times. I needed someone I could build a mental link with, an emotional connection. In short, I needed a lover that could handle me. The challenge had been harder than I had anticipated however. So far any man that I had kept lasted no more than a few days before the link overloaded his mind and killed him or simply drove him to the point of insanity. Disturbing to the servants, but necessary casualties from my standpoint. Even more important than their mental constitution was that so far no one had been able to fill the emotional void left by...

"Your highness?" Bryce snaps me out of my musing and I look up to see everyone's attention on me.

"Let's begin." I start at the end of the line and work my way down. "Too tall, too thin, wrong hair, too short, not thin enough..." as I list physical reasons for each of their rejections out loud, internally I'm listing the real reasons for their unfitness. "Fear, fear, fear and shallowness, fear, fear and laziness," I roll my eyes after that one then I pause. I sense something I hadn't felt from any of the previous candidates, or rather a lack of it. He's not afraid of me. I stare at him as I double check to make sure it's not buried under any other emotions. I rake through his mind and thoughts…he's not afraid of me. I glance at the roster to see who I'm dealing with. James Brenton. Son of the Duke of Costwolds.

He endures my hard gaze until I speak. Choosing to address him in High English I offer a complement. "Mine eyes doth taketh interest in thee."

"Tis an honor to meet thee, my queen." He bows slightly as a sign of respect. I slowly circle him making my inspection. About 6 feet tall, medium brown hair, light stubble, well-groomed, and those eyes. He had the most striking blue eyes I had ever seen. Oh yes. I wanted this. Searching through his emotions one more time I sensed a dislike of me which I feel from most of the candidates I bring into the courtyard. It didn't bother me.

"I choose you. The rest of you can go home." As the other men begin to file out I suddenly feel a spike of concentrated malice. I quickly isolate the source, one of the young men I had not reached in the line up before I made my choice. Short but good-looking, just from a quick survey of his mind I could tell he was also overconfident, haughty, presumptuous, and worst of all demeaning to women. The thoughts he was currently thinking about me were murderous at best. Also nothing new but this one, this one was different; too much for me to let go.

"Not him," I call out.

"Which one?" The guard asks.

"That one," I point him out. "The short one that feels entitled to the world but has done nothing to earn it."

The guard drags him over by the collar and drops him at my feet. Standing up immediately I can sense his hatred for me multiply tenfold. "Thou can calleth me entitled because I am. I am nobility while thou art a wench from the streets with nay right to sitteth on yond throne."

"Take this bobolyne out and behead him. And make sure you do it outside of the walls. I do not want his worthless blood staining my property."

The guards begin to drag him away and to my surprise James speaks up. "Wait!" He yells out.

"Thou hast an objection?"

"I cry your mercy. 'Tis my brother and I shan't let him be murdered over a single outburst."

"''Twas an outburst against the queen. He ought to learneth to control his speech. Takest him away." The guards once again begin to drag the man away but this time his brother runs over and attempts to fight them off. Successful in overtaking two, he's defeated by the third and forth but I appreciated seeing the effort. He's well trained I thought to myself. Deciding to spare the insolent man for his brothers sake I tell the guards to release him.

"Remove his clothing before you release him. Perchance walking home in his undergarments shall teach him a measure of humility." After he is stripped and sent home I return my attention to his brother.

"James, you shall be escorted to your chambers. You may ask the servants for whatever you require. Clean yourself up and I shall see you anon for supper."

Bryce follows behind me at a brisk pace quickly scribbling notes on his roster. I sigh and head to my chambers seeking time to rest. James is the first suitor of royal descent I had chosen to test out. This should prove to be an interesting meal.

bobolyne: fool

Anon: later on