I wasn't entirely sure what I was feeling as Medarda's golden eyes bore into mine, filled with a quiet, almost pleading desperation that was at odds with the calm authority she radiated. Her scaled tail brushed against my leg in slow, deliberate motions—a gesture that was both soothing and unnervingly intimate. Meanwhile, Asah slept peacefully on my lap, her head resting against my thigh, a faint purr rumbling from her throat. The contrast between the two women, one fierce and regal, the other vulnerable and affectionate, created a tension that I could feel humming in the very air around me.

A strange cruelty stirred within me, sharp and unsettling. Here were two of the most powerful women I'd ever encountered, and both seemed willing, even eager, to lower themselves before me. It wasn't just their deference that unsettled me. It was how a part of me wanted to see them grovel, to strip away their pride and make them feel the way I'd been made to feel in the darkest moments of my life. The thought sent a shiver through me, both thrilling and revolting.

Where was this coming from? My chest tightened as I wrestled with the duality inside me. Some of it, I knew, stemmed from the unresolved bitterness I carried from my previous life ruined by the callousness of the oligarchs who had bled the world dry for personal gain. The powerful in my last life had treated humanity as pawns, tools to be discarded once they'd outlived their usefulness. Now, faced with power of my own, a dark corner of my soul whispered that it was my turn to take control, to bend others to my will.

But there was another part of me, quieter but no less insistent, that wanted something different. I wanted to dominate them, not out of malice or vengeance, but out of a deeper, more primal drive I hadn't fully acknowledged until now. A part of me craved the power to claim them, to assert myself in a world where I'd so often felt powerless. That realization sent a jolt of fear through me. Was this who I truly was, or was it something this strange world had awakened in me?

Medarda's voice broke through my spiraling thoughts, her tone soft yet laced with intensity. "You're quiet, John. What thoughts weigh so heavily on you?" Her tail stilled its movement, her gaze searching mine for answers.

I hesitated, unsure how to articulate the maelstrom of emotions swirling inside me. "I... I don't know," I admitted finally. "This, everything, it's a lot. Too much, maybe."

She tilted her head, her golden horns gleaming under the faint light. "Too much power? Too much attention? Or too much of yourself?"

Her words cut deeper than I expected, and I found myself unable to meet her gaze. "All of it," I muttered, my hand still absently stroking Asah's soft mane. "I've spent so much of my life trying to keep my head down, to avoid being noticed. Now, suddenly, I'm surrounded by women who see me as... something more than I see myself. It's overwhelming."

Medarda regarded me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "Power is a double edged sword," she said finally. "It can uplift or destroy, depending on how it's wielded. You, John, have the potential to wield it in ways few men ever could. But with potential comes choice. What will you do with the power others see in you? Will you rise above, or will you let the shadows of your past dictate your path?"

I swallowed hard, her words striking a chord I wasn't ready to face. "What if I'm not strong enough to make the right choice?" I asked quietly.

"Strength isn't about never faltering," Medarda replied, her voice gentle but firm. "It's about standing back up when you do. And if you fear the darkness within you, it means you're already fighting it. That's more than most can say."

Her words offered a flicker of solace, but they didn't banish the fear gnawing at me. I glanced down at Asah, her peaceful slumber a stark contrast to the turmoil inside me. The sight of her innocence, her vulnerability, tugged at something deep within me. Something in her had trusted me enough to let down her guard entirely, something I doubted came easily to her.

Medarda seemed to sense the shift in my focus. "Asah has chosen you," she said, her tone tinged with an odd mixture of amusement and envy. "Perhaps that frightens you even more than the idea of power. To be chosen, to be needed, it's a heavy burden, isn't it?"

I nodded slowly, unable to find the words to respond. It wasn't just Asah's choice that unsettled me, nor Adora or Taimi, it was the realization that, for the first time in this life, people were looking to me for something more. Could I live up to those expectations? Did I even want to?

"You don't have to decide everything tonight," Medarda said, her voice softer now. "But know this, John: whatever path you choose, you won't walk it alone. That, I can promise you."

Her words carried a weight of sincerity that eased some of the tension in my chest, but the lingering questions remained. What did I truly want? And when the time came to choose, would I be ready to face myself and the world with the strength to do what was right?

I sat at the table for nearly an hour, staring blankly at the two Linking Crystals resting in my palm. Their faint glow pulsed with potential energy, ready to be placed into my Link, but I couldn't muster the will to complete the task. Across the room, Dagna moved briskly, packing up the bar and stacking glasses, her small frame brimming with energy despite the long night. She shot me the occasional curious glance, but I was too deep in my thoughts to respond.

Krenk had taken Strom somewhere private to calm down. You couldn't give a dwarven male that much wealth without him getting heated. Still, I worried; they usually planned out their private moments with great care. They had to, given that Krenk courted death by falling into a Rut every time they were together.

Medarda had taken Asah back to her clan to recover. She'd assured me that the cat girl had already shaken off the effects of the Nepeta, but the claiming had left her drained. According to the dragon, Asah needed time to regain her strength and perhaps more importantly, time for me to decide what I was going to do about her. Medarda had promised to "sit on the lioness" until I made my decision, though her amused tone hadn't exactly been reassuring.

I sighed, leaning back in my chair, my fingers absently rolling the crystals over each other. How had my life spiraled into such chaos in the span of a single night? This morning, my biggest concern had been whether a noble would get too handsy during the Yuletide gala. I had planned for a quiet evening serving drinks, dodging flirtations, and maybe slipping out early to see the Hours of Wonders before the Spirt World could no longer be seen.

Instead, I'd been saved from an assault by an Orcish champion, discovered my best friend had been obsessively Focused on me for years, and gotten trapped in the palace restroom by not one, but two of the most powerful Aspected beings in existence as they made love. I'd resonated with the princess of the realm, a connection so intimate and rare it bordered on the sacred. Then, somehow, I found myself embroiled in a drinking contest with a beastkin lioness who ended up marking me. And, just to top it all off, the richest woman in the world had decided I was her "Lord," bound to her in ways I barely understood.

And let's not forget the looming specter of my insane adoptive mother, Maeriel. I shuddered at the thought of her finding out about tonight's events. How she would react was anyone's guess, but the word "calm" definitely wouldn't be part of it. She might lock me in a tower, or worse, hunt down everyone involved and unleash her terrifying wrath. A chill ran down my spine.

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I rubbed my temples, trying to push away the building anxiety. The Linking Crystals clinked softly as I set them down on the table, their light dimming as I released them. The weight of the day pressed down on me, threatening to crush my resolve. I didn't have answers for any of this, no plan, no roadmap, just a growing sense of helplessness.

Dagna approached, handing me a stout of water. "You've been sittin' there for ages," she said, placing a clean mug on the table in front of me. "Drink up, or at least pretend you're not lost in that head of yours."

I managed a weak smile, lifting the mug and taking a small sip. "Thanks, Dagna. Just...a lot on my mind."

She gave a knowing grunt, leaning her elbows on the table. "Aye, I'd say so. You've had a hell of a night. You're like a magnet for trouble, John. Should have taken me up on my offer."

I let out a bitter laugh. I couldn't help but to be amused by that. "Trouble doesn't begin to cover it. I think I've crossed into outright absurdity."

Dagna smirked, but her gaze softened. "You'll figure it out. You always do. And if you don't, well, you've got me to smack some sense into you."

I nodded, her words providing a small comfort. "Thanks, Dagna. Really."

She straightened up, slapping a towel over her shoulder. "Don't mention it. But for now, you should get some rest. I got things handled here. Whatever insanity you're caught up in, it'll still be there tomorrow. No use losing sleep over it."

She was right. No matter how tangled my life had become, no matter how many powerful women seemed determined to stake their claim on me, none of it would be solved tonight. What I needed more than anything was to go home, crawl into bed, and let sleep take me away from this whirlwind, even if only for a few hours.

With a deep breath, I stood, tucking the Linking Crystals into my pocket. "You're right, Dagna. Time to call it a night."

"Smart man," she said with a wink. "Try not to dream about any lionesses or dragons."

The grin I offered Dagna felt paper-thin, but it was all I could muster as I stepped toward the door. The weight of the night clung to me like a second skin, but the promise of the cold night air offered a small reprieve. As I pushed open the heavy oak door leading to the main pavilion, the atmosphere shifted.

Inside, the once-bustling space was nearly deserted. Most of the revelers had filed outside to witness the grand spectacle of the Hours of Wonders. Only a surprising number of Elves and Cursed remained, lingering like quiet shadows. The strange, eerie wooden golems moved among them, their mechanical precision unsettling yet oddly mesmerizing. They worked tirelessly, their joints creaking softly as they carried out tasks with an almost inhuman efficiency.

Stepping out into the open, the chill of the night air struck me like a bracing slap, cutting through the haze of exhaustion clouding my thoughts. My breath escaped in visible puffs as I looked skyward and what I saw stole it away entirely.

The Hours of Wonders. Even after everything I'd been through tonight, even with all the chaos of my life, I couldn't help but be captivated.

No two people saw the same thing during the Hours of Wonders. Gazing into the spirit world was like peering directly into your own soul. The sky was alive, a tapestry of unimaginable beauty, like the entire Milky Way had descended to greet the earth. It reminded me of the most awe-inspiring images from the Hubble telescope, paired with religious iconography and the ethereal glow of celestial beings. It was a kaleidoscope of color and light, shifting and flowing in impossible patterns.

Faces appeared and faded some familiar, some forgotten, and some I hadn't seen in this life. The face of a loved one lost too soon, the wonder of holding a newborn in trembling arms, the sheer enormity of infinite possibility it was all there. The Whole and its Aspects, the Great Spirits, angels, demons, and countless lesser spirts, seemed to dance on the edges of reality. This was the closest the spirit world ever came to our realm, a brief moment of connection a testament to the sacrifice of the Crystal Dragon, who had prevented the High Elves' catastrophic attempt to merge the realms.

I fumbled for my Link, pulling it from my pocket and powering it on for the first time since my shift started. I wanted to capture this, to preserve it, even knowing the image would be unique to me. A photograph that no one else could ever replicate, an imprint of my soul reflected back through the sky. As the screen flickered to life, I lifted the device, preparing to take the shot.

That was when the vibrations started.

My Link buzzed incessantly, rattling in my hands as a flood of messages poured in. At first, I thought it might be Taimi, still waiting for me somewhere in the palaces. I'd promised her I'd try to meet up, after all. Or maybe it was Adora, checking in after the events of the night or even Lotha testing the special Link Crystal she'd entrusted to me. But as I scrolled through the notifications, my blood turned to ice.

The messages weren't from Taimi. They weren't from Adora or Lotha

They were all from Maeriel.

I opened the first one, heart thundering as I scanned its contents. The message was simple, but the urgency bled through every word: Flee the city.

The next message came just moments after: Run. Now. Do not stop.

Message after message followed, each increasingly frantic, each containing the same damning warning. My fingers shook as I opened the most recent one, a final plea that made my blood run cold: MY SISTER IS IN TOWN!!!

I barely had time to process the words before a sound pierced the night, freezing me in place. It was a laugh a haunting, bone-chilling sound that crawled up my spine and clung to me like a shroud. The voice that accompanied it was one I could never forget, no matter how many years passed. It was a voice that haunted my nightmares, a sound that had once reduced me to a trembling shell of myself.

She was here.

The Black Queen.

The torturer who had shaped my damnation. The one whose cruelty had defined years of my captivity. Her laughter echoed across the palace grounds like a death knell, a declaration of her presence and intent.

The beauty of the Hours of Wonders was eclipsed by a wave of sheer terror. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to flee as Maeriel had instructed. But my legs felt like lead, rooted to the spot as the weight of her presence pressed down on me.

The Black Queen had arrived. And we were all going to die.

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Codex

Popular Children's Lullaby Titled The Black Queen Author Unknown

Hush now, hide, all you little ones.

Rush now, into the middle of the night.

Singing and laughter will die.

Dreamless sleep, follows the Black Queen.

When her court comes, darkness is nigh.

Quiet, crawl to the in-between.

Silent, secretive feeling.

Of fearsome hatred that reaches the skies.

You will bring joy to the Black Queen.

When she sees the light leaving your eyes.