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The Slayer Queen Chapter Eight
Sam Perlo-Freeman
A short story based on the world of Buffy the Vampire
Slayer, created by Joss Whedon. Some place names are fictitious, as of
course are all the characters depicted.
Rating: 15
CHAPTER 8: ASSASSINS AND ORACLES
I shall speak more of her fame and her conquests, and the rise of her
empire; but all things in their proper order. For not long after the
conquest of Masalis, the first attempt by the Watchers Council on her life
came to execution. Indeed, this one came very close to success, for
although Otanes had warned that the Council might take more forceful
measures to bring her into line, Artemesia had not yet taken great
precautions against this. There were three assassins, Nubians, tall and
powerful and armed with great curved swords, the blades laced with poison.
They had gained entrance to Amrethus posing as merchants (so subsequent
investigations revealed), and at night snuck into the palace, having
surprised and slit the throats of the two guards at the entrance. Swiftly
and silently they proceeded through the palace to Artemesia's private
rooms.
Fortunately for her, she was awake, discussing matters of state with
Otanes late into the night, as was her habit. Quiet as were the assassins,
her Slayer sense heard the soft fall of their footsteps and the stifled
dying gasp of the guard on the door and instantly sprang into action,
shoving her Watcher to a hiding place behind a curtain and grabbing her
weapons. Thus when the Nubians burst through the door she was ready for
them, and one was scarcely across the threshold before he fell to the
ground dead, gaping with astonishment at the throwing dagger protruding
from his chest.
Peering from his hiding-place, Otanes shouted a warning to Artemesia that
her assailants' blades were poisoned (for he was well familiar with the
methods of the Watchers Council), and she took the warning, using all her
swiftness and skill to avoid the slightest nick or cut while trying to
make every one of her blows tell on her opponents. For their part, they
concentrated their attack on her, scarcely noticing the Watcher's shout.
After a few seconds of these exchanges, Artemesia managed to disarm one of
her attackers, then
launched a flying kick to his face followed by a punch that knocked him to
the ground. As she did so, the remaining man raised his sword to strike
her unguarded side; but before he could do so he collapsed to the
ground with Otanes' dagger in his back. Artemesia rolled aside to evade his sword as he fell, then leaped upon the man she had
downed and snapped his neck.
The fight done, she rushed to Otanes and embraced him, checking that he
was unharmed. Many as had been her battles, somehow this one scared and
overwhelmed her more than any before; perhaps the knowledge that for all
her Slayer strength, skill and powers of healing, just one instant, one
merest caress of the lethal blades could have spelt her end. For a long
while Slayer and Watcher held each other, and then their embrace became
tighter, their lips met, and they kissed with hungry abandon, wiping the
bitter taste of death from their mouths.
Thereupon, my pen chooses to leave them to their privacy, and to the
reader's imagination. Although the Watchers regard such a thing as one of
the most heinous violations of sacred duty by both Slayer and Watcher, it
is not such an unusual thing, especially when there is not such a great gap between their ages, as indeed was the case between
Artemesia and Otanes. For two people working together in such close and
continuous contact, isolated from others, it is hardly surprising. Of
course the dictats of the Council were no longer of concern to Artemesia
and Otanes, and already their relationship was highly unusual; for as he
was still Watcher to her Slayer, so was he Vizier to her Queen. So as I
say, it is scarcely cause for astonishment that they should become lovers
as they did.
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In time, word of the assassins' failure reached the ears of the Watchers
Council in Thebes.
"What now?" asked one despondent Watcher.
"Our first assassins have failed," replied Atemon. "We will
have to resort to subtler methods. But if such human efforts fail, as I
fear they might; then we shall send the Three."
*********************************************
After this narrow brush with disaster, Artemesia did indeed take much
greater precautions. Security was tightened in Amrethus, at the Royal
Palace, and wherever she went. More careful checks were made on those
entering the city, especially those of foreign appearance. More guards
were posted at the palace at all times, including some in secret nooks
near to the Royal Chambers, so that they could surprise any would-be
assassins and give greater warning before they came near the Queen. She
also appointed a taster, to taste both her and Otanes' food and drink, and
indeed the wisdom of this was proven as the holder of that office had to
be replaced on more than one occasion, as poison was and is a favoured
method of the Council.
Furthermore, Artemesia, uneasy both for her own life and for the future of
her Kingdom, made inquiry of the Oracle of Delphi regarding the time and
circumstances of her death; for the words of oracles and prophets are
written not in stone, but in sand, and to be forewarned is to be
forearmed, so that one might avert the events foretold by the Oracle. That
said, prophecies are always uncertain and open to many interpretations,
and the twists of fate they discern hard to read, so that actions one may
take to forestall the prophecy may in fact lead to its fulfilment.
Still, it is most often prudent to gain whatever insight one can into the
tangled skeins of fortune, and thus Artemesia made inquiry of Delphi,
sending many valuable gifts to the Priestesses there, including the
magnificent golden casket of which I have made mention, and which can be
seen to this day.
The Oracle made no reply concerning the time of the Slayer Queen's death,
but had only this to say, regarding the location:
***WHERE THE SLAYER IS BORN, THERE SHALL THE SLAYER DIE.***
Now, both Slayer and Watcher realised that the "birth" of a
Slayer could mean either their literal birth into the world as a baby, or
their calling as a Slayer. However, as for Artemesia, both these
occurrences were in the village of Escarian, it seemed to make little
difference. The Queen summoned her parents (who she had not seen since she
first left her village for Amrethus), and checked carefully with them that
she was indeed born in Escarian. (and also conceived there, just to be
sure). Having ascertained that this was the case, she ordered the village
to be razed to the ground, with warning markers placed around the site,
forbidding any to trespass thereon on pain of death. The villagers were
resettled on other lands, and Artemesia's parents given a magnificent
house on the edge of Amrethus. Thus did the Slayer Queen make provision
against the words of the Oracle.
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