“Girls, please take your captives to the location we discussed earlier and keep them asleep until I arrive. I don’t want them waking up, or trying to kill themselves to protect their boss until we can make their position clear to them. Oh, and be sure to disarm them and put their weapons aside for my sister to look at. The rest of you, please remain here and keep your eyes open for any more troublemakers,” I sent to Chalise and the other Succubae.

~Yes, my Goddess,~ came a chorus of collective confirmation in my mind.

There was a collective gasp from the back of the crowd, where the people with the religious signs were gathered, as the invisible Chalise whisked her captive away. I needed their attention on me, though, so I cleared my throat as I brandished the microphone and stated clearly, “People of the world, a time of great change is upon us. You’ve all seen the Changed, and the status quo being turned on its head, and a lot of you are scared and confused, and rightly so with such a massive change in how the world works. I think it’s about time someone explained what’s happening and why, and I am uniquely suited to do that.”

That got the attention of the gathered reporters and camera jockeys. They had all come here hoping for a big scoop after all, and this was probably one of the biggest in the modern age. “Taelya, how do you…”

The nascent question was immediately cut off by Daenyss. “Please, do not be so familiar, address her as Your Majesty. Also, Her Majesty will not be taking any questions until she has finished giving her statement.” Her tone was gentle, yet insistent, and she still didn’t need to use a microphone to be heard over the crowd. She wasn’t trying to sound snooty, just ensuring that these people treated me with the respect she felt I was due as an Empress, which was pretty much par for the course for my loyal Attendant.

I took advantage of the brief silence that Daenyss’s comment bought me to launch into my address. “Hundreds of years ago, magick and magical creatures existed, sharing this world with humanity. Some, like my people, the Fae, called this world home long before humans started drawing on cave walls. This world has never belonged solely to humanity, but far too many humans have always had a habit of not playing well with people who are different. You can see it in your recorded history and in various media.”

I raised my hands to stave off any comments, questions, or outrage at the painful truth I just spoke as I continued to address the crowd. “I am not trying to demonize Humans, I grew up as one until I discovered that I was part Fae when the Changed began to appear, and even then, I was well aware of our faults as a species… and our potential. So, I know that humanity can do better, that you can live peacefully with others and have a near limitless potential if you stop allowing yourselves to be hobbled by your own biases. You need to do better if you want to survive as a species. “

“Through their intolerance and greed, humans of the past drove many magical races to near-extinction and earned the ire of many of the Gods,” I explained with a sad shake of my head. “It got to the point where, nearly four hundred years ago, the Goddess Danu created the Veil, sealing away all magick, magical creatures, and even the Gods themselves. This served two purposes: One, to preserve endangered species and their traditions until such a time when we could live peacefully with humanity. The second purpose was to protect humankind from a group of Gods who would prefer to just erase humans from existence and start over. She believed that humanity could be redeemed and was giving all our species a second chance.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the fluttering in my chest. Damn, I hated public speaking, especially playing myself up, what if I came off as arrogant or said something wrong? There was a reason that Daenyss saw that as her job after all. That anxiety I had suffered while I was Caleb was still there, even if I was more confident and willing to step up when necessary now.

My friends and family gave me confidence though, and as long as I had them with me, I felt like I could do anything. Having the unwavering faith and devotion of thousands of Succubae helped too. I could always feel their worship energizing me, and it made me want to do my best. Not for my sake but theirs, to prove that their faith in me was not unfounded.

And so I continued my address, trying to look as confident as possible as I explained, “Now the Veil has fallen, magick and the Gods have returned, and the old magical bloodlines are awakening, resulting in the Changed. They were human, just like all of you, your brothers, sisters, and friends. Their changes are as beyond their control as they are beyond yours. They did not ask for this, or choose this, and they do not deserve the enmity that they have been faced with since the Veil fell. They are not the monsters, but true monsters exist and are out there.”

“Danu chose me,” I stated as I tightly gripped the microphone. “I am Her chosen daughter, elevated to a Demigoddess because I am wholeheartedly Fae but share Her belief that humanity can be redeemed, and all of our races can live in peace and build a better society together. Honestly, though, you’re not off to a great start at proving me right. Most of your governments snatch non-humans off the street, drag them into the shadows, and commit atrocities upon them. Many of the Gods still want to wipe you from the face of this world and start over, and right now only I and a small alliance of Gods stand between you and that fate.”

“You can help though,” I told the crowd as I spread my hands to gesture widely and include everyone there and the people watching on television or streaming it on their various devices. “Have faith in those who would protect you because your faith will give them strength to oppose those who would see you all wiped from existence. We have created a website that lists the Gods who are attempting to protect all of us. If they are not on this list then they either want us all dead or don’t exist, so think about that. It also has links to wiki pages about those deities and various new websites and resources that will explain what has been going on since the Veil fell and how best to keep yourself safe in this changing world. The address is simple, www.gods.var. That and links to other informative websites will also be posted on Robyn’s website under the causes she supports.”

“Two of those websites are www.changed.var and www.monsters.var. The first gives some general identifying information on the Fae and the various Changed, and who to contact if you think you might be one of them, while the latter is an index of the true monsters that you need to worry about and what to do if you encounter one. I repeat, Changed are not monsters. Pro-tip: If you really aren’t sure, look for these signs,” I announced before going right into them.

“One, Changed speak like people because they are people, so maybe try talking instead of shooting or beating their brains out if they do that, it’s a better conversation starter. Two, they generally wear clothes, use devices, and talk too much on social media, just like you. Again, because they are people. Three, and this is the important one, Changed usually won’t try to harm you upon meeting unless attacked first and they need to defend themselves, like any sensible person would when being attacked. Sure, Changed can be assholes just like Humans can, but they typically won’t try to eat you or rip your face off when they meet you more than any other people you meet. Think about that, because if you have other people wanting to do that, that’s honestly probably a ‘you’ problem.” Okay, yeah, I was being pretty sardonic, but it pissed me off that I would need to even mention this basic shit in the first place.

I took a deep breath and smiled at the crowd and the cameras, trying to project a welcoming aura as I started the conclusion of my speech. “I would like to end this address by giving hope, and a warning, to those who need it most. First, I offer a place to the Changed in Varüus’kiel, a homeland of sorts where you can be treated with dignity and respect, have a home, and pursue a life that makes you happy. You are my people, and you will be safe in Varüus’kiel.”

Then I allowed that smile to fade and I could feel my aura switching to my Justice aspect as both my expression and tone turned serious. “To the governments who are kidnapping my people, holding them without due process, and torturing and experimenting on them, I say this: End such activities now and release my people, or I will end them for you. The Fae were created to eradicate monsters and to preserve balance in the world, and if you insist on acting like monsters, then we will treat you as such. I will not blame the people of any nation for the actions of their governments, but to the people directly responsible for such crimes, know that we will have justice.”

Robyn took that as her cue to step beside me so we could share her microphone and said to the crowd, “Well, there you have it. We will now take questions.”

“The assassination attempt, was that real or just a publicity stunt?” a voice immediately called out.

Since it wasn’t directly asked of either of us, I decided to field that one myself. “It was very real, just ask those bullets that hit my shielding spells. This is not the first attempt on my life by the ‘Department of Changed Affairs’, and it will likely not be the last. To be honest, we were expecting this, and that is why I took precautions for myself, Robyn, and everyone else present. We have evidence that there was a tangible threat against both of us here, a recorded phone call between a DCA agent and whoever is pulling his strings, which was shared with the Vancouver Police Department, but they chose not to take the threat seriously. We will be happy to distribute that recording to your various news outlets, as it implicitly states that certain people want us both dead.”

“Her Majesty has offered me a permanent home in Varüus’kiel to prevent any further attempts on my life while I finish work on my new album and prepare for my summer tour, and I have decided to accept her generous offer,” Robyn quickly added.

She had barely given her answer before another voice rose over the murmuring crowd. “Where is this Varüus’kiel, why hasn’t anyone heard of it before? How do we get there?”

“It is an island in the Greenland Sea, though it is only partially in this dimension and protected by an enchantment that will only allow those invited to enter. I have several Domains attached to it that are not in this dimension at all though, and they are breathtaking in their natural beauty. Until the Veil fell, these lands were largely untouched, and right now we are still trying to get infrastructure in place for tens of thousands of refugees. As for how to get there, well, you must be invited. More specifically, you must be invited by me or someone that I have given the authority to do so, and the invitation must be voluntary, not under duress.”

“Robyn, don’t you think that moving to Varüus’kiel will hurt your activism?” another reporter asked.

“No, I do not,” the pop starlet stated firmly. “Her Majesty has assured me that once I am a resident there, I will be able to come and go as I please. She has offered me travel options that will allow me to arrive anywhere in the world quickly when needed, and now that Varüus’kiel is connected to the rest of the world through internet and cellphone networks, I can communicate with the outside world as well as I can here.”

“Robyn, you claimed that Tae… Her Majesty is your good friend; how did this happen?”

“How does anyone become friends with someone else? We talked about a lot of things on the night we met and found that we have similar goals and a lot in common. We just sort of clicked right away, not just the two of us, but Rob and Her Majesty’s entourage as well. We talk on the phone and through texts a lot, and sometimes it feels like we’ve been friends for months instead of a week,” Robyn answered as she turned to smile at me.

“You’re her friend, but she makes you call her ‘Your Majesty’? Isn’t that a little narcissistic,” a woman near the front said with a sneer.

Oh, that was funny coming from her since she looked like she spent an awful lot of time in front of mirrors. She was bleach-blonde, wearing an immaculate teal skirt-suit, and had a bad case of resting bitch face. I recognized that bitch, she was the same one who was giving me a hard time outside the fancy, elitist restaurant on the night Robyn and I officially ‘met’. Jealous much? Not wanting to give her the satisfaction of thinking that I remembered her, I asked sweetly, “Have we met somewhere before?”

“I call her that in public as a mark of respect, nobody is making me do anything,” Robyn said before the fuming woman could reply, looking at her with enough intensity to make her shrink backward. “That is her title, bestowed upon her by the Goddess Danu, and witnessed and supported by her people. Would you address any other monarch or world leader by their first name or a nickname in public or formal situations? No, you wouldn’t, you would most likely treat them with respect, and Empress Taelya deserves no different. She actually really dislikes all the formality, and when we’re talking or spending time together privately, she insists that the people she is close to call her by name instead of her title.”

“Your Majesty, would you be willing to give tours of Varüus’kiel?”

“Perhaps, for the right person, I might grant an exclusive tour and interview,” I answered after a moment of thought. “Maybe a before and after. Right now, there honestly isn’t much to see. We’re still dealing with a lot of refugees, setting up infrastructure, and constructing a city that will be environmentally low-impact and serve the needs of our citizens. That said, as a nation, I believe that we have a lot of potential. Our experience with magick and hunting monsters puts us in a unique position, and we have some rare elements and are developing artificed technologies that incorporate magic to allow things unheard of until now.”

“What kind of technology? Is there any chance you will share this technology with the rest of the world?”

I smiled from ear to ear as I looked right at the camera. “Anything you can think of, our Artificers can probably make it or improve upon it. Medical tech, vehicles, weapons, and tech to improve infrastructure and end the reliance on fossil fuels. We even have Full Immersion Tubes for VR that can be used to train people in new skills at an accelerated rate. They were originally developed by one of my people, Moira Llewellyn, for her company, Pegasus Entertainment, before she and all her employees were falsely accused of being terrorists. As for sharing, that will be on a case-by-case basis. Some of our technology will make its way to world markets, while others will remain in our hands until we can be certain they would be used responsibly. Though we will consider granting access to it to our allies.”

Yes, I just announced that the F.I.Ts were in my hands, and that was going to really piss off certain governments and agencies who were trying to get their hands on them. I’d also just given notice that if they even hoped to ever get access to that tech, they would have to start playing nice. Hopefully, this would help change the way that they were treating the Changed, even if it was only done in self-interest.

“Will Varüus’kiel apply to join the UN or other international organizations such as NATO? Do you currently have any foreign relations with other countries?” The questions were both quickly rattled off by a man near the back.

Okay, that was a tough one, I needed a moment to think about an answer that was both true and diplomatic since I hadn’t given that any thought yet. “Right now, our focus is on internal issues, such as infrastructure and homes for our citizens and refugees. We do have diplomats speaking with the leaders of some countries, such as Japan, who have spoken out against the mistreatment of the Changed, but diplomacy is a process, and developing mutually beneficial relationships will take time and trust. When I feel it is time for us to step onto the world stage in a more official capacity, I will entertain applying to such organizations based on what I feel is best for the people of Varüus’kiel.”

I was getting tired of playing it up for the cameras, and I could feel a knot of tension forming in my neck that Daenyss would probably have to massage for me later. It was time to end this, so I said, “We will take one more question.”

There was some murmuring as the woman who had called me a narcissist asked, “A few days ago, you were both spotted meeting at the Golden Sun restaurant, could you tell us what that meeting was about, and what happened there?”

“It wasn’t a planned meeting or anything,” Robyn replied before I could. “Empress Taelya was taking her entourage for a meal there when they noticed that the Golden Sun had been vandalized and damaged. The place was trashed because they treated Changed people the same way they would any other customers, as equals. The cowards who did it broke in at night and fled before the police showed up. This is the kind of treatment of the Changed, and those who support them, that has to stop. I mean, isn’t it stupid? These people attack people for not being human enough, all while they’re the ones who are acting inhumanely.”

She was visibly angry and her hands were trembling, so she took a breath to calm herself before finishing what she wanted to say. “The Chans, the owners of the Golden Sun, have been like family to me and Rob since I got emancipated, we went there to eat and spend time with them often. I told Empress Taelya as much on the night we met when we went for dinner there, and she thought that I would want to know what happened because she cares about others. There was no secret meeting and no agenda to speak of, just all of us helping out some good people who didn’t deserve to have their livelihoods destroyed, to clean up and salvage what they could. Her Majesty was even kind enough to offer them a place to rebuild the Golden Sun in Varüus’kiel.”

“I thought that Varüus’kiel was only taking in Changed refugees!” someone called out, sneaking in a follow-up question.

“That’s because you never bothered to ask,” I said sternly, tired of stupid questions. “I have never once said that only the Changed are welcome in Varüus’kiel. The Chans, Robyn, and Rob are good people who want to live in peace with others and in a world where we treat people as people, without bigotry and bias. That is the type of people I welcome in Varüus’kiel and if I denied them a place for being Human, it would go against everything I am trying to build. We all need to learn to coexist in peace, and I believe that starts at home. That is all, we will be taking no more questions.”

Sensing that they probably weren’t going to get anything else out of us, the media hounds reluctantly began to disperse. Unfortunately, the protesters looked like they were ready to set up camp at Robyn’s front gate and the two cops who were present didn’t look inclined to do anything to stop them. In fact, as the reporters started to pack up and leave, those officers approached us, and it looked like they were doing so with a purpose.

We weren’t alone, though. Rob, Daenyss, and my protectors were all making it clear that they were there to protect us, and they didn’t particularly care if they had badges or not. Rei, Kinara, and Salem all slipped out from the dwindling crowd to join us as well, the latter two dropping the glamours that made them look human, and Rei, who was in his sexy male form today, shifted back to his natural Kitsune form.

“Miss Reyes, Miss Keshwin…” A withering glare from Daenyss, as he not only horribly misrepresented my name but dared to condescend by attempting to call me something so familiar, cut off what he was saying as he looked around and realized his only backup was his partner, and that a few of the reporters were still hovering around. “Umm… Your Majesty, you said that your people captured the shooters? We’ll… need to take them in… for questioning. So, if you could turn them over to…”

“No,” I said simply, cutting him off.

Thankfully, my aura was still projecting my Justice aspect, which had the effect of not only making sure I wasn’t trying to talk to a couple of drooling idiots but also seemed to intimidate the pair of cops for some reason. Perhaps because they were supposed to be serving justice? Either way, the looks on their faces were priceless. They looked like I just told them the sky was green. “No?” he blurted out in confusion.

“That’s what I said,” I agreed, keeping my face impassive. “You people were warned that there would be an attempt on our lives, and you did nothing. It’s almost like you wanted us to get shot. And since I know that your department has been working with the DCA, and they’re the ones responsible for this attempt on our lives, I’m not going to trust you with these would-be assassins. I will question them myself.”

“You can’t just…” The cop trailed off, looking nervous and uncertain.

“Can’t just what?” I pressed. “Grab people off the street and make them disappear without due process? Isn’t that exactly what your department has been helping the DCA do since the Changed started showing up? Don’t worry, I’m sure the government won’t miss them… or even admit they exist. And if I’m wrong, and they weren’t trying to kill us with those big guns they were found with, I will gladly return them to you.”

The people who were still hanging around with microphones and cameras had them pointed in our direction as they smelled a scoop, and the cops were looking very uncomfortable as their glances shifted that way. I couldn’t blame them since it would be a huge scandal if the local police department was involved in the actions I’d just mentioned. I was ninety-nine percent certain that was the case after their lackluster response today and what happened with me and Rei pretending to be our old selves at the bank, and if there was any kind of trail to connect those dots, the media vultures would find it and do part of my work for me.

After I managed to scare those two cops off with the inadvertent assistance of the media vultures, Rob made sure that the gates were sealed behind us and we all headed back inside Robyn’s house, though I didn’t stay long. However, Lillith left a group of her girls there for protection and I asked those Succubae as well as Salem, Venika, and Kinara to help Robyn and Rob move everything important or that they wanted to bring with them to one of the residential suites of the Moon Palace. Hopefully, it would go quickly with that many magick-users. After today, we all felt that they would both be a lot safer staying in Varüus’kiel.

It would probably take a little while to set up a proper recording studio and such for her there, but I was sure that the Artificers would have fun doing it, and when they finished it would be awesome. When Robyn asked why I was moving her to the palace instead of a hobbit hole like everyone else, I told her the truth. It was because she and Rob were like family, and if I had to live in a palace, then the least my family could do was keep me company.

She still thought it was too much, but she seemed to warm up to the idea once I told her that I needed an official Royal Bard, and there was nobody better suited for the job than her. I knew that she knew I just pulled that out of my ass when she asked what she would do as the Royal Bard. I playfully told her to get her ass in gear and compose a national anthem for us before I disappeared with the others to cut off any more protests and interview some failed assassins.

When we rematerialized from the teleport, we were on one of the smaller sky islands in the domain I had inherited from Inanna, where our three would-be assassins were asleep and had been thoroughly stripped and searched by Chalise and a half dozen other Succubae. I turned to Nishalle and asked, “Do you want to do your thing and take a look through their stuff before we get to it?”

My sister nodded grimly and started by looking through the three piles of belongings. When she was done that and doing her thing with each of the three men, she looked up and shrugged. “Well, the two shooters probably aren’t contract killers. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re both former military and probably with the CSIS, but from what they had with them, there’s nothing to prove who they’re working for either. They were very careful not to have anything that could identify them on them. No ID and they were both wearing gloves.”

“So, what does that mean?” Rei asked, glaring at the men in question.

“It means we’re most likely right about them because they’re too clean and were too prepared,” Nishalle replied with a grimace. “The sniper rifle is standard military issue, with no personalization or modifications, even the suppressor is standard. Bolt action, and no magazine, and since he was going for a headshot, he probably thought the first round was all he would need. The other gun is an Anzio 20mm Anti-Materiel Rifle chambered in 20mm Vulcan caliber with a suppressor and a three-round box magazine. The magazine had two rounds left and there was one in the chamber, so he was ready to keep firing if the first didn’t penetrate Tae’s defenses, and the scope is an anti-glare model. He was prepared and probably knew about how the first sniper attack on Tae failed and the shooter was blinded. That means he has ties to the DCA.”

Yeah, well any of us could have guessed that,” Harley grumbled.

Lissany frowned, seemingly in agreement with her fellow Guardian. I had a feeling that they were both beating themselves up about not seeing the shooter and being unable to try and take the shots for me and Robyn as the Jaguar Beastkin asked, “Did they have anything interesting on them? And what about the protestor guy?”

In reply, my sister held up what looked like a smartwatch. “The ‘protestor’ had this. It looks normal enough on the surface, but there’s a tiny needle on the underside that left a mark on his wrist. If I had to guess, it’s meant to inject him with something deadly under specific conditions or some kind of verbal command. We’re lucky Chalise knocked him out before he could trigger it. That reeks of CSIS or CIA spy shit. I’m not sure what model of handgun this is, I prefer range with a gun, but it’s what he was carrying.”

I looked over the very familiar handgun that she picked up to show me and frowned. “That’s a P320 semiautomatic pistol. That one fires 9mm parabellum and versions of it are standard-issue for both the Canadian and American Armed Forces. That one is the same model that the cops at the bank were using.”

“He was also wearing padding to make him seem heavyset and the oily hair was a wig. I’m ninety-five percent sure that these guys are all tied to CSIS and the DCA somehow,” my sister added. “You might want to keep the two shooters gagged until we explain the situation, in case they have some sort of cyanide capsules or something that the Succubae couldn’t find.”

I considered asking if Nishalle wanted to keep either of the rifles, but she didn’t seem impressed with either. Besides, I knew she was attached to the sniper rifle she’d used in the game and that Denise and her boyfriend, the team behind Faun Firearms, were working on a new and improved version of the Dragon anti-material rifle and ammunition they had made in the game. From what the Doe Beastkin had giddily told me a couple of days ago when she requested more energy-sapping crystal for shells, the new model would be even more powerful and chambered in 25mm. She hoped to have versions of the prototype finished soon for Nishalle, Daenyss, and Whisper to test before mass-producing them for our monster-hunting teams.

So, instead, I just nodded and looked toward Chalise and the other Succubae. “Okay, girls, let’s wake them up so we can have a little chat, but keep a tight hold on them so they can’t run off before I’ve made their situation clear to them.”