Gloria walked the long corridors of the glorious castle. All the spoils of war covered its walls. She smiled at the paintings of Kings past. Gloria was a servant to the royal family of Murtar. Murtar was a powerful and feared country in the middle of the desert. For thousands of years, it had ruled the desert by sword. She beamed in pride of her country and what it had become in her years. As she turned the corner onto the Prince's Chambers, she sighed. She had grave fears for the fate of Murtar, the Prince was a wretched boy who did not have the sense to lead such an important country, there was a growing resistance in Lower Murtar, they were seeking to split Murtar into two smaller countries, Upper and Lower Murtar. Gloria nearly choked on the thought as her weathered hands moved to open the Prince's chamber doors.

He slept so soundly, she thought. He was a good-looking boy of eighteen years. Unusually tall and broad, lean and muscular. Her task was to wake the young Prince from his sound sleep. Murtar had no more difficult or dangerous task. Her worn hands crept down along the royal cloth that lined his body and held still on the Prince's shoulder. His face tensed as she tried to draw back in fear, but he was faster. His hand shot out and caught her by the throat, his eyes abruptly opened. The Prince was awake. He swiftly stood with his hand still on her throat. She didn't dare lay a hand towards him. The Prince smiled a devilish grin and released her. Her crime was touching the body of the Prince. This was the punishment for such an infraction in the high court of Prince Dominick.

The King sat on his royal throne with the weight of all of Murtar on his shoulders. His principal advisor nervously stalked the throne, back and forth, back and forth. "Do you agree with the High Council?" The King's words cut through the air. "Oh Great King, I hold my reservations, but your word is the word of Murtar, if you say he is ready to lead, he is," Remis, the principal advisor to King Daris, croaked. King Daris rose from his royal seat, "Summon the son of Murtar to my chambers."

Prince Dominick sat merrily in the royal dining room. The dining room servants began the delicate dance of displaying foods from all corners of Murtar to the Prince. Before long, locks from the northern province, the finest lamb in all of Murtar, and the rarest grains covered the table. His face transformed in disgust. "You dare serve this commoner's meal to the Prince of Murtar!" He spat at a servant. She lifted her head up towards his and spoke in a quiet and apologetic voice "Great Prince, this meal is fit for the greatest of Kings. It is fit for you." His face reddened with anger "I am the sovereign Prince of Murtar, owner of all your eyes have ever seen, my meals will be served to me on the backs of other Kings." She lowered her head as he lifted the dish of lamb above her and thrashed it down on her face. The other servants ran as the young girl cried out in pain and fear, he continued to cover her face in the finest foods of Murtar. Just as his stomach filled with joyous laughter, Remis, the principal advisor to King Daris, passed through the threshold to the royal dining room.

The small man looked up at the hulking Prince. "Remis, if you've come to substitute for my table, you can see that you're a little late, lunch has been served," The Prince said before Remis could speak. "The King requires your presence in his royal chambers immediately," Remis spoke with the authority of the King of Murtar. The Prince said nothing and thundered across the room and out the door of the royal dining room.

Prince Dominick briskly walked through the corridors of the castle that would soon be his, he payed little attention to it's splendors. As the Prince neared his father's chambers, a young concubine of the King's walked out. She bowed before the Prince before skipping past. All of Murtar's spoils will soon be mine, he thought. He opened the door to his father's chambers and entered without a word. The king stood towards the long wall, his arms layered across his chest as he peered out the jewel-encrusted window. "Murtar is the envy of all other kingdoms, our statues stand prouder, and our towers stand taller than any other kingdom on the planet," The King spoke first. "Murtar is a fraction of what it will be under my rule," The young Prince proudly declared.

"You know nothing of Murtar, you know nothing of battle, you know nothing of your people, I fear for the future of Murtar with you at rule, my son" The King spoke quickly with momentary relief, he admitted what he thought he might never be able to.

"Father, I will bring new light to Murtar, we will expand our rule to the entire desert. The King of Murtar's word will be law throughout every country on this Earth, my word will be law."

"I know of what you did to our servant this morning, servants speak, they all fear you, they fear serving you, this is not the way to prove yourself worthy of succession," The King's words were steady, filled with great despair.

"A lowly servant thought it her prerogative to touch me, your Prince, she was mistaken and I dealt with that mistake." A hint of anger in the Prince's voice.

"The throne of Murtar will not satisfy your hunger for power, no man has the power you seek. I cannot crown you as God, my son. I owe my fathers before me the insurance of Murtar's survival, I must live up to their deeds. You have to feel the blood of a hundred Kings running through your veins. If you were to have a son, I would sooner name him my successor before you. I will accept the recommendation of Remis."

"Father... what is my fate?" The Prince quietly uttered. The Prince realized that he must now act as the faithful son to his father, the King. His brain flashed with alternatives, he considered cracking the turquoise vase, given to his father's father by a far off people, over the King's head and taking the throne by force. He thought better of it.

"You must prove yourself. You talk of extending our lands, we shall see if you can make it a reality. Take the Imperial Army, do battle with the people of the north, if you come back with the stronghold my father's father sought to add to Murtar, you will see your chance to be Crown Prince and future King of Murtar. Go now. Do as I ask." The Prince made his way out of the his father's chambers. His world was shattered. Do battle? The Prince had never done battle in his life, he searched his mind for answers. He had seen the Imperial Army parade through the capital of Murtar as a child after a great victory against the last democracy of the desert. This was all he knew of war.

The day wore on and his servants packed for his trip, the Prince began to romanticize his task. The delusions of grandeur grew within in, all would fear him. he would be a fierce and merciless warrior. It should not be too difficult, he was already a merciless Prince. He charged the greatest blacksmiths of Murtar with forging his battle armor out of pure gold. He would fight like a King and look like one. A week passed before he was prepared to leave the capital of Murtar. He had only seen the wonders out there beyond Murtar once, with a team of royal escorts. He had traded in these escorts for the strongest army in the world. He was looking forward to the suffering he would force upon the people of the north.

The Imperial Army surrounded the young Prince and waited for instruction. Prince Dominick's trademark devilish grin crept across his face. He was absolute ruler of this army. Days passed as the Prince and the army made their way north to the stronghold they were meant to destroy. Wherever they went, people chanted his name, they set up suitable housing for the Prince of Murtar, they showed him thanks. On the surface, he was the next King of Murtar, their leader. He looked the part in his suit of gold. The impoverished people stared at him in wonder. The High Council had been successful in keeping word of the Prince's misdeeds behind the castle walls.

They neared the stronghold beyond northern Murtar. The generals lined up at the royal tent, generously set up by the eager townspeople, the last town to the north of Murtar. The first general tapped on the tent and announced their presence "Great Prince, we ask for a minute of your time." The Prince popped open the tent and stared down at the generals angrily, what did they want? "Speak" He declared coldly.

"We're close to the people of the north, we must talk of a strategy. Have you formulated our strategy?" The general questioned nervously.

The Prince openly laughed "The Imperial Army is the strongest army on the planet, all know and fear these men, we're vast and numerous, they are few and weak. My strategy, general, no. My decree. Leave no man who would stand before me in defiance alive."

The day had come. The generals judged they were only hours from the stronghold. All were fearful of their fate, but the Prince. They had no strategy, they had no leadership, the people of the north had never been mastered before, how would they fair on this day? The Prince's elaborately decorated chariot bounced on the rocky terrain. It didn't affect his mood, he was excited. He knew many men would die today. The scream of his team of men to the north surprised him. He had been napping. His eyes opened to see something he had never seen before. Present danger. His eyes fixed on the arrows flying through the air, they fell and inserted into the heads and backs of his men. His chariot driver fell back behind the bulk of the army and moved towards cover. They had been ambushed. With no direction, the Imperial Army dispersed into smaller teams and made their way out into the desert, arrows digging in the sand all around them. They fell and died, one after another. The people of the north left their hiding place by the sand pits and charged towards the Imperial Army.

The Prince's face changed from surprise and fear to his devilish grin. The people of the north had underestimated the Imperial Army. They left their hiding spots. He tapped the shoulder of his chariot driver "Tell them to stay together, they are one army, let them be one, surround our enemies. Cut them off, they will never see the cover of their sand pits again." The chariot driver hurriedly notified the men left behind to guard the Prince, he told them to ride up and tell the rest of the army of the Prince's plan. The Imperial Army followed their new instructions and soon had surrounded the less experienced and smaller army of the north. The men left of the northern army were disarmed and shackled. They were positioned in the sand on their knees. The Prince eagerly walked through the rows of captured soldiers. The Imperial Army managed to identify the highest official left among them. The Prince stared down on this man with the prowess of the great Warrior Prince of Murtar.

"Your land is my land, your people will bow before their future King until the end of time. Why do you fight against my empire?" The Prince said so firmly that he believed it.

The man defiantly spoke up to the Prince "We would rather fight than be ruled by the kingdom of Murtar. You are tyrants!"

The Prince smiled and spoke for everyone to hear "None of you will know the pleasure of serving your King!" He drew his golden blade and drove it through the heart of the man. "Kill them all."

The Imperial Army and more importantly the Prince returned to Murtar victoriously. On his way back to the capital, Prince Dominick took part in many feasts, all in his honor. He was offered fine furs, rare foods, gold, jewels, wives, everything his heart might desire. His ego swelled even greater. They loved and feared him. He didn't mind the love, just as long as they bowed before him.

He returned home with all the political goodwill a successor to the throne could ask for. Murtarians felt pride in their heart for their country, all except the officials that lived and learned behind the walls of the castle. They learned of his merciless murder of the prisoners. The army of the north hadn't disbanded, every last soldier had been put to death. The suffering the King's son had caused weakened the King's heart. His son could just as easily decide to execute every citizen of Murtar. This was not a King in the making. Though the King could not deny this great victory, his son had earned his chance at the throne, whether he deserved it or not.

King Daris summoned the returning Prince Dominick to his royal chambers. "My son, you come home in victory. I am proud of you." The King spoke through clenched teeth.

"I laid waste to all who oppose your rule, I extended the lands of Murtar, I have brought hope to the heart of Murtarians, I am to be the next King of Murtar," He declared.

The King walked over to the window of his chambers and searched the streets of the capital, "You must rule Murtar, not scare and destroy. Murtar has reached a pinnacle of influence and power that my father's fathers could only dream of. No country on Earth would dare challenge us in war. Murtar has taken it's rightful spot as the leader of the world. There is no external threat to Murtar. The same cannot be said internally. We are in the midst of a civil war." The King paused to lower his eyes to his hands and draw in a breath, "I cannot deny this war any longer. If something is not done, Murtar will split into two and lose it's great power and prestige. We cannot let this happen. There is word of a woman. She's assembled an army against the Imperial Army. In the same way you have come home with the hope of the people or Murtar, she is a symbol of hope for the people of Lower Murtar. They want freedoms we can never give them. They call her the Warrior Princess, she would rule the lower segment of Murtar. Dominick, that must never come to be. Kill the Warrior Princess and you will be King of all of Murtar. Do this and you will be my successor to the throne."

"Father, I will not disappoint you." The Prince couldn't hide his smile.

The Prince eagerly assembled the Imperial Army, still tired from the trip back to the capital. Prince Dominick sought to find this Warrior Princess to no avail. He realized that he would have to wait for her to strike. She must have heard of his commanding victory over the people of the north. He had guided the Imperial Army to victory once and he would again. He didn't have to wait long, the Warrior Princess knew of his victory and would hope to capitalize on the Imperial Army tired journeys. She gathered her army of fighters with a clear strategy. They would ride through the mountains just past the rule of Murtar safely and then ride through as much of rural Murtar as possible until challenging the Imperial Army at the capital of Murtar. They would overtake the capital. The Warrior Princess wouldn't settle for just the lower half of Murtar, she would free all of Murtar, ruling it by consequence.

Unfortunately for her, no amount of gold could pay off the mountain people, like all other neighboring people, they had heard of the Prince's victory against the people of the north and feared the same fate, they tipped him off, in hopes of gaining favor in the high court of Prince Dominick. The Prince lead the Imperial Army into the mountains to head off the Warrior Princess. They expertly maneuvered through the mountainous terrain. The Prince sent forth a stealthy scout to find the Warrior Princess and her army. He returned with the exact information the Prince had hoped for. Now he knew exactly when the two armies would meet with the Warrior Princess completely in the dark. The Prince showcased his devilish grin.

Finally the day came, the Warrior Prince and the Warrior Princess were destined to meet in battle. The first rows of the Imperial Army lined their quivers and filled the skies with their deadly arrows. It was the only warning the Warrior Princess would get of her impending doom. The arrows dug into the mountains and into the skulls of her comrades. The men behind her moved to retreat but she denied it. They would move forward and they would win.

The first battle was gruesome. The Imperial Army showed no mercy. The Prince's curiosity to see his opponent grew within him. He climbed the stone and looked down upon her army. His eyes fixed on her. She was as tall as any man around her. Her skin tone was darker than his, the blackest of black hair. Her body looked well-muscled with faint femininity. He felt regret that she would never have the pleasure of bowing before him.

The Imperial Army destroyed the Warrior Princess's army of boys and old men. The Prince was completely confident in his victory. He decided to climb up the stone further. He made his way to the top, very proud of himself. He had beaten the Warrior Princess and climbed the giant stone. His eyes surveyed the horizon and he nearly fell to his knees. Another army made their way to this mountainous battle. The people of the north, east, south, and west had united to fight the Imperial Army. They must have hoped to kill the Prince before he could pick their kingdoms off, one by one. He had to rush down the mountain and retreat before this army arrived. He moved faster than he ever had before, this was also a new feeling. He was powerless. By the time he reached the Imperial Army, they were surrounded by this army of commoners on all sides. The generals came to him once more.

"Great Prince, we stand no chance like this, what should we do?" This the same general who had consulted him for a strategy on their last battle for the stronghold of the north.

"We only have one option. Tell the men. We're moving deeper into the mountains, prepare them for this fate of hell." He said sternly.

The Imperial Army gathered itself and followed the Prince. They moved fast and expertly. They didn't have a second to waste. The well trained Imperial Army had much experience in this mountainous terrain. The commoners who sought to kill the Prince before he could rule Murtar were not trained in maneuvering through mountains. They lost ground on the Imperial Army, many fell, bones were broken, blood covered the well-travelled rock. The Prince stopped before a giant cavern in the heart of the mountain. There the Imperial Army set up for war. Archers lined the opening, batches of men sat ready to strike. They were cornered, but they were prepared. The tired and wounded commoners army found it's way to the giant cavern. The Imperial Army were vastly outnumbered, but they had a strategy.

Prince Dominick threw off his weighted gold armor and fought alongside his men. They needed as many sword-wielding hands as possible. Days passed and the Imperial Army managed to hold it's ground in the giant cavern. They were at a stale-mate. Finally, the Prince settled on a messenger to deliver a message to the Warrior Princess. He had grown respect for his Imperial Army and wasn't fond of their needless deaths, he wanted to negotiate. The Warrior Princess agreed to the negotiation, but only on neutral ground. The Warrior Prince and the Warrior Princess left their respective armies for neutral ground up the slope of the stone. The condition of the meeting were that they could take no weapons, the other side's messenger must see them leave with only the clothes on their back and enough water to make it there and back.

The Warrior Princess made it to the top of the slope first. She sat with her legs crossed waiting expectantly. The first thing she saw of this Prince was his devilish grin. She noted his tall stature and youthful face, they seemed to be about the same age. He took a seat just across from her. They stared at each other for a great while, neither broke their gaze.

She was the first to speak, "You ask for a negotation yet offer no negotation, did I climb this massive stone just to make you smile?"
A lump developed in his throat as he tried to speak, no one had ever talked to the sovereign Prince of Murtar like that. "I offer you your life and the life of the army you have gathered to oppose the King with. Pledge your allegiance to the royal family of Murtar and no blood need spill."

Her eyes burned with fire as she quicky stood up and looked down at him, "We have nothing more to discuss! I will never pledge my allegiance to tyrants, I would never pledge my allegiance to someone as unworthy as you!"

Anger flashed through his entire body as he rose in a flash and grabbed her arm, "You will bow before.." Her hand raised and landed across his cheek. She started down the slope, he refrained from chasing after her, he knew her fate.

She made it down the stone back to the cavern first. What she found sparked amazing anger. The Prince had lied. Her commoners army sat in chains while the Imperial Army ruled supreme. She thought to hide back up the stone but had already been spotted. She had no weapon or armor. Two soldiers chased her up the stone, she smashed a rock over the soldier and took his sword, she drove the sword through the stomach of the other soldier. The Warrior Prince had made his way back down the stone and stood behind her. She turned at the sound of him withdrawing a blade.

"Did you think that the Imperial Army would refrain from engaging while you were gone? Without leadership, your commoners army is just a group of untrained, undernourished servants, they surrendered before death. The question is if you will do the same." He spoke in the tone of a great warrior, outsmarting his prey.

"I will never surrender to the likes of you!" She roared back at him.

The Prince coolly and devilishly filled her in on the fate of her followers, "Your entire army will be killed, we know your identity now, your family will be killed, anyone who has so much as seen you will be executed, your name spoken in scorn throughout all the world, surrender now and this can be avoided."

Her face softened into apprehension and fear for the first time, "I will surrender, you have won, I cannot deny it. Let these people live. They only want freedom from oppression."

The Prince ordered the Imperial Army to write down the identity of every member of the commoners army, they did as the future King of Murtar said, he personally shackled and escorted the Warrior Princess off the mountain. He had opportunity after opportunity to kill her but did not. He travelled back to the capital of Murtar in a royal chariot with the leader of the resistance. They made it back to the castle. He lead her through the long corridors of splendor and beamed with pride at this great catch.

They walked together through the long corridors of the castle, past the expensive pelts and paintings of long ago. Finally the Prince found what he was looking for. He walked through a wide door with the Warrior Princess into a large room where a bunch of important looking advisors sat. Prince Dominick pushed the Warrior Princess into the room and spoke suddenly, cutting the silence "Here is the hope of Lower Murtar. The Warrior Princess in the flesh. I have captured her as an enemy of the empire. I can think of no better fate than to have the High Council themselves teach this girl the greatest propaganda of Murtar. Lower Murtar will be ruled of their own will once their beloved Warrior Princess explains it to them in the right terms."

At these words the Warrior Princess kicked back against the Prince, catching him off-guard, and pulling away from him, "I won't betray my own people like you will! This regime is the greatest evil in the desert and I will have no part of it! I am not property to used for one purpose or another." She stared into the eyes of the unforgiving Prince.

The High Council hurriedly slipped out of the room. Their remarks toward the Prince were unkind. He resisted his most instinctual urge to destroy them and looked back at the Warrior Princess. "Alright Princess, then until you learn the importance of devotion to the throne, you will be my personal servant. And I must tell you they don't have a very good track record. Most meet with unfortunate ends before their second day on the job." His devilish grin crept across the previously serious face.

He trotted the Warrior Princess out of the room and came upon a small group of servant girls. Prince Dominick stared down on them angrily. The girls spread apart nervously at the Prince's glance. "Make her look worthy of royal servant duty." He growled at the scared group of servant girls.

Now apart from the Warrior Princess, he made his way to his father's chambers. Unannounced. He walked through the threshold marking the chambers of the King of Murtar. The Prince's father sat leisurely in the most comfortable chair in all of Murtar. "Father, I have stopped the Warrior Princess's attack on this very capital. I won battle after battle against her army. When the people of the north, and the east, and the south, and the west, came to ambush us, I fought them off, they surrendered and I let them live. The people recognize me as King of Murtar, the Imperial Army recognizes me as King of Murtar, that chair is mine. This chamber is mine." The King stood, paused and looked at his son, "...Your word is the word of Murtar." He slowly walked past his son and left the chamber that used to belong to him. The former King looked up at the spoils of the castle that had belonged to him and faintly smiled. Murtar would have a King.

King Dominick sat down in the most comfortable chair Murtar had to offer. If the weight of the greatest kingdom on all the planet was on his shoulders, it didn't show. He smiled at his place, head ruler of all the eye could see, and soon of the entire world. Not long afterwards the servant girls passed through the threshold into the King's Chambers with the Warrior Princess. King Dominick looked his new addition up and down. The servant girls had cleaned her up and fit her in an unassuming servant's gown.

"Come here Princess" The new King smiled. The Warrior Princess gingerly stepped towards the King.

"What do you need?..... Your Highness.." She spit out the last word.

"So I see you've learned how to address a King of my stature." The battle was won in his mind.

"A... A King of your stature? You've had the ill-gotten crown of Murtar for less than a day and you deem yourself a King of some stature?!" She didn't back down from his words.

The disrespect cut through the King's head. Anger flooded his body and caution drained itself. King Dominick grabbed the Warrior Princess and threw her to the ground, shouting "I am the King of the desert, of you, of any family you've ever had, every day a commoner in Murtar lives is another day they owe their lives to ME!"

She tried to push her way up from the ground, "You're no King!!! You're not even the King your father was! Murtar will be free one day because you'll get yourself killed someday!"

He roughly ground her body into the floor of the King's Chambers, his face red with an unstoppable anger, "I will be the greatest King this world has EVER seen. I am the full-blooded King of Murtar. I'm not just a King, not just a man, I AM A GOD!"

"You're not even a MAN. You're an ANGRY LITTLE CHILD!" At these words, the King began reigning blows down upon her. She responded with the like and they traded shots. The Warrior Princess managed to dislodge herself from under him and move to safer territory off the floor. The new King chased after her and threw her body into the wall of the Royal King's Chambers. She continued to attack his face. Although he was the stronger specimen, the Warrior Princess was more experienced and would not give way completely to blind rage. They seemed nearly evenly matched against each other, beating their bodies into walls and statues.

It wasn't until some time later that they finally finished their joint assault. The badly bloodied Warrior Princess touched the washcloth to her swollen face and then brought it to the King. He sat bloody atop the King's throne. He mumbled as she wiped away at the very cuts she had inflicted on his face, beginning her duties as a royal servant to the King of Murtar.

She was the first to break the silence, "The only reason I haven't broken free of this castle or tried to rip it down brick by brick is that there's no alternative for me. You've beaten my army. There is no one left strong enough to fight. My only hope now is to convince you to ease the affliction you've cast over Murtar."

He glared up at the uneasy Warrior Princess. "I've squashed the resistance. Any afflicted Murtarian can hope for better luck in the desert or die by the sword of Murtar. That is all there is to be said. If these people are not grateful for what I've given then, may they burn." He spoke coldly of his own people.

The Warrior Princess let the silence sink in as she thought of the right words, "My family lived on the outskirts of Lower Murtar. Though we saw no public system nor protection, your father still taxed us down to our very dinner table. My father was a decent man, a farmer, his worst fear was that his family would starve. Your father's unrelenting taxation led my father to steal for his family, a task he abhorred." The Warrior Princess held the washcloth to the King's face as he half-heartedly listened to her story.

"He turned into a different man. He pushed my mother out, he pushed us away. One night he'd toss the room apart in a rage and the next he'd weep in the corner, afraid he'd lost his family. It was wrong, it was indecent to steal, but he did it because it was the only decent thing he could do for his family. Your father dispatched a piece of the Imperial Army into Lower Murtar, to stop the excessive looting and collect their blood taxes. My father was one of the unlucky many caught stealing. They gave him no dignity and no mercy, they broke into our house and hung him by the neck in our kitchen. That was the day I knew this tyrannical empire could not stand. Not while I was alive." She hushed.

The King of Murtar pushed up from the Warrior Princess. It felt to the Warrior Princess that he might not have anything to say but the King had a story too, "I wasn't always the successor to the throne of Murtar." He motioned to the King's throne.

"When I was a boy, I had my own affliction. I could not walk. The royal doctors couldn't explain the effect. A handler would have to carry me from place to place. My father was ashamed of me. His advisors told him I couldn't be seen in public. My problem was weakness to Murtar. The High Council and the section governors fought over what structure or man might take over the jewel of all the desert. They argued bitterly amongst themselves. Who would tax who, who would kill who. Who would truly rule? As each section of Murtar would favor a different King, the blood of millions would have been spilled for their power. The power that was MINE! Eventually their squabbles would lay waste to Murtar, it would be overrun by savages and our history would bury itself forever in the desert. The King may be evil. But it is a necessary evil." He scowled at the Warrior Princess.

She took another moment, "Are you any more than a savage with a royal name and a castle?" She spoke back to the new King.

He turned away from her and walked towards the glorious window overlooking his kingdom. The Warrior Princess changed the subject "So you couldn't walk but not a week ago you gave my army a run through the mountains, what happened?"

"The indomitable will of a future King is not to be count out." He spoke from a far away place, watching nightfall overtake his proud new kingdom. The anger within him seemed soothed for the night.

"If a decent man lies within your tortured soul, he should know he'll be safer where the sunlight can reach him." The Warrior Princess walked out of the King's Chambers to tend the moving of his riches to his new chambers.

The next morning King Dominick had a meeting with the High Council to discuss his public crowning. The Warrior Princess followed him to the east wing of the mounsterous castle. The King was clothed in fine West Murtarian gold silk and the royal crown smelted from pure Murtarian gold by his father's father. They stepped into a royally marked room where the King's High Council sat expectantly. The King sat at the head chair with no sign of respect towards the Council. The Warrior Princess sat on a stool by the King.

"Lets make this quick. I have a breakfast to attend."

Fernun, the Chief High Council delegate began "As you know..... King Dominick, Your Highness, the crowning ceremony will take place tomorrow in the capital park. Attendence will be in the thousands." The King looked around the room aimlessly, obvious disrespect to the High Council. "Your father, the great King Daris, was the last in a long line of sovereign Kings. Now that his title has passed to his son, Murtar can finally free itself of the dark ages. The days of Kings are long over, people want government.They know that your appointed governors are nothing more than lackeys. The High Council believes that governors for each province should be elected by the people. They will be handpicked by a body such as the High Council and elected by the..."

The King abrupty stood and looked down on Fernun, the Chief High Council delegate. He unleashed his hellish words on Fernun and the entire council "You want MORE power! You want to usurp the King! This is blasphemy. This council is nothing more than a TRAITOROUS resistance!!! My father may have respected the High Council but I have not one use for it!"

Fernun, taken aback would not stand for attacks on the High Council, "The High Council is an advisory on the King, we are nearly as old as the institution itself!"

The two men, King Dominick and Chief High Council delegate stood eye to eye before the King spoke, "I AM THE KING! I will dismantle the High Council and then I will dismantle you! This system of governing has no place in my empire! You should beg for mercy before your King if you have any hope of living!" He roared.

"The King means that he is crown King of Murtar. Through the line of succession, he has all rights to his kingdom and he sorely resents your reservations against his rule." The Warrior Princess split the two men.

"The King is a powerful enemy to make. I believe our majesty has a strong respect and a great hope to work with the High Council who served his father so valiantly." She tried to please both sides and end the fight that could rip Murtar apart.

The Warrior Princess tugged at the King's arm and lead him out of the High Council's quarters. King Dominick was still red with anger, "What was that?!" He spat at her.

"That... was diplomacy, Your Highness." The Warrior Princess smiled her first smile in front of the new King. She lead him to a large auditorium hidden within the east wing of the castle. "I found this place last night. Have you been here before?" She asked.

The King looked around the room, dismissing the great arena, "No, I don't think so. Why is the King of Murtar's presence required here?"

"I'll be right back and you'll find out." She flashed her hand at him and ran out the door to the enormous auditorium, previously undiscovered. She returned with two peculiar looking swords. They were long and thin, dull blades by any sense of the word.

"And what would this be, Princess?" His patience waning.

"This is to help you burn off some frustration." She tossed him one of the dull blades. "Stand and fight me."

The King's devilish grin awoke and he stood before the Warrior Princess, blade in hand. He quickly hurled himself towards the Warrior Princess, only to feel her blade press him back again. He tried again but couldn't penetrate her defenses. She smiled at the King before engaging him with her dull-bladed sword. They went back and forth, the sparking sound of metal against metal filling their eardrums and taking over their reality. Before long they were huffing and puffing. The Warrior Princess had practice with a sword but the new King was a fast learner. Finally the King pulled back his blade. She withdrew hers from the makeshift arena as well, the sword laying dormant at her side.

"And before a few days ago I'd never even picked up a blade." The King spoke full of pride in his sword-fighting ability.

"It shows." The Warrior Princess chuckled, her face still stinging from their brawl the night before.

"Don't tell me I drew my blade on you and fought a girl for no other reason than to make you smile Princess. For it is sorrowful enough that I ever let a woman speak for me in front of the High Council, even if their fate is death."

The Warrior Princess spoke very deliberately, "I may be a woman, but I'm as strong as any man, and just as handy with a sword. Why should the swell of my hips disqualify me from a seat of importance in the oh so high court of King Dominick?" Her face overcome with a soft smile, for in the duel of honest sentiment, she had won.

It took but a few moments to come up with a satisfactory answer, "You're an anomaly. That makes you all the more valuable."

The Warrior Princess frowned in response. "Maybe valuable isn't the right word.." He continued, "It makes you all the more special." He spoke like they were his first words.

The King's pained face returned to his devilish grin as he looked down at the dull blade, "I can still kill you." He uttered in triumph.

The Warrior Princess tentatively stepped closer to the imposing figure, by blood the most powerful man in the world. She got to within inches of him, her eyes searching his for something other than the black coal that fueled his fire of rage. "You can't kill me." Moving closer, "I am your only chance for a suitable Queen." Her lips almost touching his, "I'm the only one who's intensity begins to match yours. The only one who can do this to you..."

The King was snapped out of his trance by the blunt end of a dull blade against his vital organs. "You lose." She whispered.

The day's events went through his head as the King lay in his royal bed that night. He had finally achieved his absolute power over the most powerful kingdom in the world. He was the King of Murtar, the King of the desert, the King of Kings! But he couldn't deny that something about this Warrior Princess intrigued him. Even a man who would kill without a moment's thought was still human. His feelings were warming for the woman who once lead an army against him. The new King had trouble sleeping that night. Could he be anxious for his crowning ceremony tomorrow?

Morning finally came. The graceful light of the sun filtered through the King's window and into his eyes. His eyes fluttered open and he sat upright. Today is the day. Everyone in Murtar will know me as their King. I am their hope, their love, their hope for salvation lies in my hands, he thought so highly of his new position. And it was a grand position indeed. A King of Murtar was a King of the desert, and a King of the desert ruled supremely.

He summoned the Warrior Princess, his royal servant. He stood proud and tall, looking for an outfit that could do the new King of Murtar justice. She padded across the lion fur rug into the King's Chambers. "Are you ready for today, Your Highness?"

King Dominick turned, "Do I look like I'm ready!?" He pointed to his half-clothed body. "I am the King of Murtar. I am the sand and the sky of the desert, not one garment in this castle is worthy of me!" He spoke impatiently.

"What of that silly gold armor you wore at our first meeting. Surely pure gold from the finest blacksmiths is worthy of even you, your majesty." She wondered outloud.

"Ahhh yes..." The King smiled, "It should also serve to intimidate the High Council." He chuckled.
The ceremony went on in fine fashion. A huge crowd of thousands of Murtarians appeared to well-wish the new King, and seeing the crowning of their new ruler. Although they were at odds, High Council nor King let on that there was any split between them. King Dominick watched the Warrior Princess, if he didn't know any better, it looked as though she was smiling. Smiling for what? He was just another tyrannical King oppressing his people, was he not?

Now that he was the crown King of Murtar, it was time for the chariot ride throughout Murtar. It was a tradition since before King Dominick's father's father, the new King travelled through his new kingdom, receiving thanks from the people. His many royal servants stocked and readied his mighty chariot. But the King was looking for one in particular, the Warrior Princess. She sat at a dusty servant's table, staring down at the unappetizing portions servants were fed.

"There you are Princess. As the people of Murtar beg to bow before me in person, I feel the need to oblige, I am ready to take my leave for the streets of Murtar." He struggled to make his point, "Would you like to join me?" The smallest hint of hopefulness in his voice.

"Would it be wise to bring a servant with you on your ride through Murtar? That spot is usually reserved for a Queen." She asked with a sly curiosity.

"I am the King, I can do whatever I wish. Your duties as my chief servant don't end when I leave this castle. You are tasked with accompanying me on any of my numerous adventures." He smiled.

"An adventure, huh?" She got up. "What sets this apart from any other King meets people, people grovel at King's feet, King is gracious public appearance?"

"Well you'll be there. They may be too afraid to grovel." They took their seats on the royal chariot, layered with jewels and painted in the King's colors. Their journey began at the capital, the response of the people was overwhelming. They loved their new King. The King who as Prince won a campaign against the people of the north, increasing Murtar's size and vast riches. Through the streets into Lower Murtar the people cheered their new King. It wasn't until the royal chariot reached the outskirts of Lower Murtar that the response became more harsh. People dared to boo the King of Murtar!

"This is unacceptable. Soon these people will understand the devotion I require of them!" The King roared angrily.

A man stepped forward from the crowd and threw a rock forth at the King's chariot. King Dominick used his armor-clad body to protect the Warrior Princess. "GET THAT MAN!" The King shouted down to his royal escorts. "Bring me his head! We shall bring it to the house of every man who would dare oppose the King!"

The Warrior Princess, puzzled at the King shielding her, begged of him not to kill the man, "You can't make every decision through anger. If you are to a successful King, you must be more than just feared!" She choked out to the King.

"Bring him here." The King shouted to his royal escorts, roughly pulling the man from the safety of the crowd. The royal escorts hesitantly handed off the man to the King in the chariot. King Dominick pulled the dirty and disoriented man up on the chariot, the King looked towards the crowd, "You applaud this man?" The crowd laughed. "He has no plan for any of you. On my ride through Murtar I've seen some great things but unfortunately they have been matched by equally worse things. The people of Lower Murtar don't deserve any mistreatment. I will talk to your governor about what I've seen today, this is as unsatisfactory to me as it is to you. Each of you have a choice in life. You can throw rocks or you can pick up bricks and make something with them. I plan to pick up the bricks, for my empire, for my capital, for each one of you. Help me help you." He tossed the man back into the cheering crowd. Their attitudes had turned and now they booed the man.

He smiled at the Warrior Princess. After the ride through Murtar was finished, they made their way back to the fabulously massive castle. Before the Warrior Princess could stop herself, she asked the King why he had shielded her from the rock earlier. "If anyone, I'm going to be the one who kills you, Princess." He smiled a devilish grin.

Upon reaching the castle, Remis, the principal advisor to the King ran to the chariot and shared the news to the new King, "Good evening, Your Highness. I mean your majesty, emperor supreme, we have some bad news. Each member of the High Council has been killed. The royal ministry is calling for an investigation, we just need your consent, if you so wish." Remis was shaking in his tights, suspecting the true fate of those High Council members.

"That is most unfortunate. Having spent much time learning and speaking to the High Council, I know that they wouldn't want their deaths to hinder the day to day of Murtar in any way. Give them the proper burial of royal advisors and be done with it." He smiled and Remis nodded and bowed.

Once they were in private, the Warrior Princess broke from the King, "YOU KILLED THEM!" She shouted out to no one in particular before setting her sights on the King, "YOU KILLED YOUR OWN HIGH COUNCIL! I was.. I was talking to them. We were going to solve the problems diplomatically!" She screamed at the King.

"Watch your tone, servant. I never gave you permission to speak on my behalf. I have handled my problems without your help!" He barked at her.

For the first time, the Warrior Princess's eyes began to well with tears. "How could you do this!" She cried before turning away from the King and running off.

The King cursed his predicament and threw a royal painting to the floor. By the time King Dominick caught up with the Warrior Princess, she was done crying. His royal servant sat silently in his own sleeping quarters. The King walked in with his head low. "Maybe you're right. I don't know. But I have to tell you, having you disappointed like this.. it... I don't know what to call it... it hurts me." He whimpered, "And now we can never be what I want." He answered his own question.

The Warrior Princess pressed her palm to his cheek, "I saw something in you today with that man. A decent King, a decent man." She soothed the great weight on his shoulders.

He looked at her like never before, not with anger or annoyance, not even with his trademark grin, but with respect, respect as best as he could show, "What you said the other day.. about the Queen of Murtar. I think that's what Murtar needs, I think thats what I need. I need you to believe in me... because Murtar is safer when you do."

The Warrior Princess pulled the King to her and kissed his forehead tenderly, then his lips. "If that was a proposal, I accept. I.. I accept you as my King."

The King wrapped his steady arms around her and held her close to him, "So then there will be a royal wedding." He kissed her head.

"Close your eyes" She spoke softly. The King gave her a skeptical look before complying. By the time he opened them again, hot coals from the fire circled them on the floor. He looked at the Warrior Princess quizzically. She sat down across from him and took both of his hands in hers. "In the outskirts of Lower Murtar, we weren't allowed marriage ceremonies by decree of your father, to combine man and woman in marriage, we began like this. Repeat after me."

"As man, who seeks matrimony with this woman, I pledge myself to her."

"As man, who seeks matrimony with this woman.... I pledge myself to her." The King assured his future Queen.

"As woman, who yearns for the matrimony with this man... I pledge myself to him." She spoke each word slowly, "If we ever stray from this pledge, the hot coals symbolize the fire we will inherit." King Dominick nodded his head at her words.

"Within each other we are one. You are my husband, I am your wife." She searched his loving eyes, "Now repeat, You are my wife, I am your husband."

"You are my wife, I am your husband." He spoke surely to his Queen.

The Queen's face lit up with a smile, "My King."

"My Queen."

Their lips touched to seal the ceremony, cautiously at first they moved towards each other.

The next morning the new couple ate breakfast happily in the royal dining room. Remis, the King's advisor walked towards the King, interrupting his meal, "Great King, I apologize for this rude entry but I must inform you of another resistance against your monarchy. A group of rebels vandalized the governor's mansion just down the road from this very castle last night. We have reason to believe some of these people are the same as the ones who fought against you and the Imperial army with the Warrior Princess."

The King spoke, "That is very troubling. Very troubling indeed. I have to think about this. Excuse me and the.. oh.. this is as good as time as any." He smiled at the Queen. "I'd like you to set up a formal public wedding ceremony for me and the Warrior Princess. I want the best of everything, talk to her for supervision on this process. It doesn't matter what she wants, make sure we have it."

"Yes, Your Highness. Your word is the word of Murtar. What you say shall be done." The King's advisor rushed from the royal dining hall.

"And so the King of Murtar, the King of the desert, the jewel of all the world will wed his Warrior Princess." He said cheerfully.

"What are you going to do about the people who vandalized the governor's mansion?" She asked of her King.

"I'll deal with it accordingly. A King cannot stand for open defiance like this. We have their names and we will track them down." He spoke, sure of himself.

"In the past, your dealings usually lead to deaths, my sweet King. The royal ministry doesn't want to just drop the deaths of the High Council. People are beginning to ask questions about what the Imperial Army did with the disbanded army of the north. Please... no more, my love."

He caressed her cheek affectionately, "Don't worry yourself, my Queen. I know just what to do." He kissed her forehead.

"Don't kill them. Please, you're better than that. I know these people, they're not rebels. They're decent men forced to do indecent things. Let me talk to them. I can get them to..."

The King cut her off, "Out of the question. If they know about us, they'll kill or kidnap you just to get to me! I will handle this!"

"Promise me, King, promise me Dominick. You won't kill them?" She begged of her King.

"I promise you, Love. Don't worry but of our wedding. The day will be celebrated by every citizen of Murtar. Every Murtarian will have a Queen." He convinced her.

"That's good for them. But you should understand it's about you and me." She kissed him, "We could just as easily keep our union secret, in my mind, we are already one. But since Monarchy politics are like they are, we need an open public wedding, I'm going to catch up with your advisor and set up plans for the wedding. Don't lose yourself at my leave, my King." She kissed him with a smile before she parted from the King, "You're a decent man, Dominick. You can walk, so take those small steps with me towards a greater future, for us, and for your people. For me."

King Dominick sat finishing his breakfast. Murtar had woken up to a new day, the age of King Dominick, the all-powerful. As the day wore on, the King wandered through his castle, he saw one of the Imperial Army's generals, the same one who fought with him through his campaigns in the north and the mountains. The general bowed before the King, "What do you require, my King?"

"I've been apprised on this recent uprising at the governor's mansion. I want to take a band of the Imperial Army, and find these rebels. Teach them that there is no defying my empire. I will not stand for this terror."

The general took note, "What should we do with them?" He asked of his King.

"Slaughter them. Every single one. Make them suffer for this." He roared angrily to his general. The general pledged his alliegence with the King and went forth to complete his new task.

The King spent the day rather pleasantly, walking through the royal gardens, taking notice of the commoners around the capital, it wasn't such a bad thing, being a King around the people, maybe even of the people, he thought. It wasn't until around sundown that the King started feeling especially lonely for his new Queen. He thought he might find her in his Chambers. Through the long corridor, an official in the Imperial Army caught up with the King. "Your Highness, there's news on your mission." King Dominick stared down the slight lieutenant, "The general and three other military officers were killed in this incident." The man spoke, now very cautiously.

"What!? That's impossible. Did they complete their task?"

"Yes, Great King, the rebels are dead as you ordered."

"With incompetence such as this, I will go and see for myself. Ready my royal chariot, lieutenant." The King stormed off angrily. Couldn't anyone do anything right? Why must the King of Murtar handle everything. What incapability surrounds this young King. I am the crown King of Murtar, the most powerful country in all the world with the strongest army this world will ever see, yet they can't complete one simple mission secretly? The King growled to himself.

It was nightfall by the time the King rode through the capital on his royal chariot. Murtarians peeked out from their houses to find the source of the commotion. The King had no time to mingle with commoners. With any luck, he might make it back to the castle before the Queen even knew he was gone. He could clean this up quickly and no one would be the wiser. The night became blacker and blacker. King Dominick and his royal escorts lit torches to see as they got to the house where the rebels had been hiding out. The house was a mess. Blood on the walls and even covering the ceiling. The King and his escorts made it into the main room where the incident had taken place. Remis, his principal advisor and a handful of Imperial Army officers were in the room, surveying the mess.

The King noticed the general's body on the ground, badly bloodied. Now he walked through the rebels There, on the floor was the familiar figure of a woman's figure. Suddenly, Dominick felt a hot rush up his neck, he shuffled towards it and looked closer. On the floor at his feet lay the lifeless body of his once and future Queen. "NUHGUHHH.. NOOOOO!!" The King shouted at the top of his lungs. The men in the room nervously moved towards the King as he cradled the motionless body of his Queen in his arms, "My Queen!! My Queen, Nooooooo. Please No!!!!!!!!!" Suddenly it fully dawned on the King's advisor. The woman in the King's arms was the Warrior Princess, Murtar's future Queen.

"My Queeeeen!" The King wept, still holding his love.

The King's advisor touched his shoulder, taking a long moment, "This was an unfortunate accident. Fortunately, the news of your pending marriage had not gone public yet. You must put this embarrassment behind you, my lord." He offered solemnly.

The King spun around, his eyes filled with rage, he grabbed Remis, "SHE WASN'T AN EMBARRASSMENT! SHE WASN'T! She Was As Good As Any Man! Better! She... She Was Better Than You, Better Than ME, Better Than Anyone! Better than I deserved. SHE WASN'T AN EMBARRASSMENT!!!" He cried.

The King drove off his royal escorts and escaped from the bloody house. His face red with tears, his legs wobbly. King Dominick fell into the sand. He had not the indomitable will to walk. The King who had any possession, any title or riches he so wished, truly had nothing.

The Queen had sought out the rebels in the hopes of solving their issues diplomatically, with no bloodshed. Unfortunately during her stay the Imperial Army struck, she tried to explain, and fought like the Warrior Queen she was, but it wasn't enough. One can only guess that with her last breath, she realized that her love, the King, had gone back on his promise to her. In anger, he strayed from her side and doomed them both to the hot fire.

Maybe if the King had not been so quick to anger, things would have been different for him now, for his Queen. The price of anger is unknowable, because it's not us, but the ones closest to us who end up with the bill.