Return of the Queen

A warrior queen with an unusual talent is magically marooned on another planet and tries to use another type of magic, the magic of technology, to get home.

This story has a little of everything — action, adventure, drama, tragedy, romance and comedy. It also happens to be the sequel to The Distant Queen, but I wrote this story to stand on its own. I wrote The Distant Queen several years ago and it's not my best work. I didn't want anyone to have to read my earlier story to know what's going on in this one.

NOTE: Comments have been disabled for this story. If you do read it, please consider clicking the Good Story! button, and if you feel moved to comment, private messages are always welcome.

This is a complete story of twenty chapters and I'll post two chapters every weekend.

Return of the Queen
by Terry Volkirch

CHAPTER 7

"You look happy," Thelma commented when Gabrielle slowly got up that morning.

"Mmm hmm."

The tall woman glowed after a very satisfying evening with her mate. Not even her companion's worst behavior could ruin her mood, but she didn't have to worry about being tested. Thelma seemed unusually happy.

Gabrielle puzzled over the change in attitude until her morning mental fog lifted. After sifting backwards through last night's memories, she finally remembered taking her companion for an astral tour of Roggzer.

"So, Thelma. How do you like astral travel?"

"It's great!" the large woman gushed. "I loved it! How long a trip do I get after I lose enough weight to resize my skirt?"

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it. Would you like to go far above the surface of this world and look down on it? It's a beautiful sight."

"I dunno." Thelma rested his chin on the palm of his hand and thought a moment.

Gabrielle thought the gesture to be somewhat feminine but didn't say anything.

"I guess that sounds good. But aren't there any other large cities or sights we could visit?"

That question took the queen by surprise. She never thought to astrally scout around Agrin. She always focused on other things, like Marie and finding Farrott. But the idea made good sense.

She bought a map in Roggzer that led her and Marie to the magic portal that sent Marie to Kispri, but there was another area of interest to the north of the large city. It might save a lot of wasted effort if she checked out that area ahead of time in astral form.

"Thanks, Thelma."

"For what?"

"You just gave me a great idea."

"Is it good enough to get me another sample of astral travel?"

"Nice try, Thelma. But you'll still have to lose some weight before I take you on another astral tour. Besides, I have to find someplace to go first."

~o~O~o~

The pair went to breakfast and Thelma couldn't help himself. He kept after Gabrielle, wanting to know about the queen's new idea.

"I'm going to hunt for some magic to get home. I know a place that I'll be checking out tonight."

Thelma gave her a blank look.

"Aren't you interested in seeing a place of powerful magic?"

"I suppose."

"Sheesh, Thelma. Try not to sound so enthusiastic." Gabrielle rarely used sarcasm but her companion seemed to bring out the worst in her. "What kind of things would you like to see?"

"Just like I said... large cities and impressive sights, like tall mountains and waterfalls."

"That might take awhile, but I suppose it's just as well since it'll take some time for you to lose weight."

Thelma looked down at his half eaten meal and frowned. Just what he needed, another reminder of his obesity. It took all of his willpower not to cry.

Gabrielle noticed her companion's sudden change in mood and apologized, again. She chastised herself and vowed to do less apologizing and show more care in what she said. Having to contend with someone like Thelma challenged her in so many ways.

After a little thought, she decided to divulge her money making plan, hoping that would cheer up the moody woman.

It worked, though she got a little angry when Thelma laughed.

"I think men would pay money to see that," the large woman said.

"Good. That's what I'm hoping."

"So what'll you be wearing? Your tunic and armor don't show off your assets very well." Thelma heavily emphasized the first syllable of "assets" to further aggravate the queen, and he giggled when he saw the effect it had.

"Spoken like a true man," Gabrielle blurted out and regretted it when Thelma seemed to take it as a compliment.

It was a step backwards in her plan to make a lady out of Thelma but it made her even more determined.

'After you slim down, it'll be impossible for you to think of yourself as anything other than a beautiful woman. You won't be so manly then, and hopefully, my work will be easier.'

That thought brought her back to her dancing. She expected to make her own costume using a few scraps of fabric from the same shopkeeper who lent her an old sewing needle. The two of them had struck up a budding friendship after Gabrielle surprised the other woman with her desire to sew. Sewing wasn't an expected skill for a warrior.

"I'm going to be busy making a costume until the evening meal," she told Thelma. "Do you think you can stay out of trouble until then?"

"You bet," the large woman chirped. "I'll be too busy imagining you dancing."

The tall woman flipped a coin to her companion for a mid day meal and stormed off to the clothing shop. She'd finished her meal and had quite enough of Thelma's sexist remarks. Staying any longer might lead to a severe case of indigestion.

~o~O~o~

Mezzie, the petite, gray-haired owner of a small, casual clothing shop, gave away most of the small clothing scraps that Gabrielle wanted, and she graciously offered to let the queen work in the back room of her shop.

Piles of old clothing littered the creaky wooden floor, with bolts of new cloth on shelves against the two side walls and a rack with a few completed outfits near the door. A rickety wooden chair and equally shoddy table sat against the far wall.

It wasn't comfortable sitting at the table but at least it was quiet and well-lit by a skylight. The old shopkeeper rarely came back into the small room, and none of the customers did, so Gabrielle made good progress.

By mid day, she completed a first attempt at making a skimpy top and modeled it for Mezzie, who clucked with mild displeasure and shook her head. It really didn't show much more skin than the plain brown tank top that Mezzie wore. It didn't look like something that would easily entice men to part with their money. After a few half-hearted suggestions for improvement, it was pretty much back to square one.

Gabrielle sadly thanked her new friend and went off to get them both something to eat. She felt it was the least she could do for all the kindness shown to her. Besides, the tiny old woman didn't eat all that much so it wouldn't take a lot of money to feed her a simple meal.

~o~O~o~

While shopping in the market, the tall woman just about found everything she wanted, which included an appetite suppressant for Thelma. The only thing left to buy was bread, and as she looked for a place to buy some, she came across a strangely decorated booth that she'd never seen before. It sold the usual assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables but it was the unique hangers that caught her attention.

The hangers consisted of a triangle of cloth with a length of string attached to each corner of the triangle. The free ends of the three strings tied together and hung on a hook overhead, and the corners of the cloth triangle pulled up to hold various types of melons. The design seemed inefficient but it was certainly cheaper and easier to make than something like a woven basket.

Though the hangers weren't impressive, they did inspire a new idea for a dancing costume. It would require less clothing, so it would be cheaper to make and it would reveal more skin. It was perfect, at least in terms of making money. Modesty be damned. She had a queendom to get back to.

~o~O~o~

Gabrielle almost forgot the bread but luckily she passed by a breadmaker on the way back to the clothing shop and picked up a medium baguette. With the clothing shop closed for the mid deal meal, she sat near the front window with Mezzie and practically inhaled her food. Then she rushed to the back room to start on her new top.

Mezzie couldn't help but notice her new friend's excitement and had to follow behind and make a comment.

"What's the hurry? Did ye think of a new design?"

"Yes, I did," the tall woman said over her shoulder as she sat at the table. "And I can't wait to try it. I don't think it'll break any of your laws but it should get me some attention."

"Oh! It sounds scandalous, woman. I canna wait ta see it."

With that, Mezzie returned to tend to her shop and Gabrielle got to work, finishing both the simple top and equally skimpy bottom in short order.

She fashioned the top out of two small triangular pieces of forest green cloth that would cover her breasts. The triangles would point up with a thin strap of gold fabric tied to both points. The thin straps, or strings as Gabrielle thought of them, would tie around the back of her neck to give her support. The bottom edge of each triangle was folded over and sewn to make a long tube through which another gold fabric string was threaded to hold the two triangles together. The two ends of the bottom string would wrap around her chest and tie in the back.

She removed her tunic and tied the strings from the triangle tops behind her neck easily enough. She had a little trouble tying the other pair of strings behind her back but her flexible arms allowed her to finish it.

"Mezzie!" she called out to her friend. "I'm ready!"

The old shopkeeper soon appeared at the door and gasped.

"Are ye serious, woman?" were the first words out of her mouth.

"Quite. If this doesn't get me arrested, I should make a lot of money I think."

"I have ta admit, it does catch the eye. I'm sure men'll go mad fer it. Are ye sure ye can defend yourself?"

"Don't worry, Mezzie. I've been trained as a warrior and I'll keep my sword handy. No one will lay a hand on me."

"If you're sure."

Mezzie asked what to call the new design and Gabrielle had to stop and think. The Agrin word for triangle was "kini" and since there was one for each breast, she added "bi" as a prefix meaning two in her own language. She just invented the string bikini top and men everywhere would be eternally grateful.

Excited about the potential for her outfit, Gabrielle quickly tried on the bikini bottom.

The bottom consisted of a single, hourglass shaped piece of cloth with gold strings at the four corners. The cloth wrapped around to hide her sex and most of her rear, and the strings tied up over her hips to hold everything in place.

Modeling the bottom got yet another gasp from her friend, who couldn't let the outfit stand as it was.

After rummaging around the shelf, the old shopkeeper pulled out a thin, sheer white fabric and held it out.

"Here," she said. "Fashion a short skirt out o' this. There's no sense leavin' so little ta the imagination. Better ta hint at some of yer curves than give everything away all at once."

"Are you sure?" Gabrielle took the fabric and ran it through her hands, enjoying the feel of it.

"Don't ye worry none. It's not expensive and I rarely sell any. It's mostly used ta make sheer curtains fer small windows."

The grateful woman thanked Mezzie and set out to complete her costume with visions of money dancing through her mind. She felt so anxious to finish she didn't even bother changing back into her tunic and leggings.

~o~O~o~

Gabrielle finished making her skirt and modeled her complete outfit. She also tried a few of the dance moves that Marie had shown her last night.

Seeing her friend's wide eyes and gaping mouth, she knew she'd be a hit. The men of Marzelle wouldn't know what hit them.

"Where did ye learn ta dance like that, woman?!" Mezzie asked.

"From my mate, who's very knowledgeable about what men like."

Gabrielle wished she could explain that Marie used to be a man but doubted the old woman would understand.

"Well," Mezzie said. "I don't think it's illegal but I wouldn't be surprised if the town elders consider makin' some new laws ta change that."

"As long as they're slow and give me time to make some good money, I'll be happy."

"They are slow ta act. Townsfolk complain often about that. Ye won't have ta worry 'bout the elders fer a long while. I'm not so sure 'bout the young men though. Are ye sure 'bout not getting a bodyguard?"

"A bodyguard would cut into my profits. I can't afford that."

"You young women today and yer crazy ideas," Mezzie huffed.

"Don't worry. I'll keep the dancing shows short and my sword very close by. I'm sure I can handle any trouble."

"That sounds like a good plan. Always leave 'em wantin' more."

Gabrielle laughed and agreed wholeheartedly, and after a quick change of clothes, she rushed back to the inn for the evening meal. She couldn't wait to show off her dancing costume to Thelma. Being a former man, her companion should be able to offer a valuable second opinion.

~o~O~o~

The excited woman flew into the dining hall of the inn to find Thelma waiting at one of the tables.

"Sorry I'm a little late." Gabrielle huffed and puffed as she approached the table.

Thelma's stomach answered with a loud gurgle but amazingly enough, he didn't say anything. He didn't even roll his eyes.

The queen was impressed by her companion's restraint, and she felt encouraged to launch into a description of her costume. Unfortunately, she was still out of breath and she ended up spouting a long stream of incoherent babble. For once, she annoyed her companion instead of the other way around.

"Slow down and take your time," Thelma said, scowling. "What did you call your costume again?"

"It's a string bikini with a sheer skirt."

The sheer skirt sounded interesting but the word bikini meant nothing to Thelma, so he decided to wait and see it after they got back to their room. For the moment, he had other things on his mind, like food.

"Can we eat now please? You can show me after we eat."

"Sure. I'll go order right away." Gabrielle got up to go to the bar but paused. "I'll just get the usual. Is that okay?" she continued on a roll, having less trouble speaking now that she'd nearly caught her breath. "Did you have a good day? Did you work hard? Did you get enough to eat? Are you hungry? Oh! Never mind. I heard your stomach a little while ago."

"Just go!" Thelma interrupted. He tried not to be cranky. The day's light workload meant that he kept his appetite under control for most of the day. Everything went very well until a short time ago when the hunger pangs hit hard.

Some people seemed to enjoy complaining and shouting. They concentrated on all the negativity in the world and it fed their dark mood.

Thelma really wasn't that way. He didn't enjoy having problems. He just collected them all too easily, like some people collect pebbles in deep grooves in the soles of their shoes. He couldn't avoid trouble any more than a young, healthy person could give up walking.

Being somewhat lazy and depending on his lost magic talent hadn't helped. Threatening to use his magic to send people away was asking for a dagger in the gut, something that nearly happened with increasing frequency once his potential victims started banding together to overwhelm him.

Having low morals and bad judgement also added to his woes. They invited a life of crime and unhappiness, but with his magic gone, he suddenly felt relieved of a great burden. As long as he had it, he'd have been tempted to use it, and trouble would've followed.

It all seemed so clear to him now, and he was relatively happy, until his hunger reminded him of another burden he bore. It would take a lot of time and energy to lose weight, but doing so wouldn't hurt anyone, and it truly would benefit him. If only he could control his appetite.

~o~O~o~

Gabrielle returned a short time later bearing a tray of edible delights, earning another scowl from her companion.

"Thelma? Remember what we talked about. You need to keep your energy up so you can exercise and lose weight faster."

Thelma turned her head and blushed.

"I have another idea that might help too."

That got the large woman's interest. "Oh?" he said, turning back and looking down at the plate of food that had been placed in front of him.

The queen pulled what looked like a short, thick, light brown stick from a pouch that hung from her simple, string belt. "This," she pointed with her free hand, "is teng root. It's an appetite suppressant."

Thelma gave her a dubious look.

"Really! I've been assured by multiple sources that it really works. Try it." She held it out for her companion who continued to hesitate.

"I don't know. It sounds too easy."

"What have you got to lose? Except weight?"

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"By itsellf... in the right doses... yes. Here. Allow me."

Gabrielle crumbled a small section of the root over Thelma's salad greens and waited.

"Come on," the tall woman said. "Eat your nice salad. I want to see how quickly the teng root works."

The large woman sampled a bite and almost spit it out. "Bitter!" she complained.

"That'll help you eat less then," Gabrielle said and smiled.

"Yeah. Whatever." Thelma almost cracked a smile but stubbornly held on to much of her male personality. She finished her salad and the two women sat and waited to see if a certain greedy stomach would growl for more. They had a long wait.

~o~O~o~

Back in their room for the evening, the two of them sat and waited for the sun to set for their walk. Light conversation helped pass the time and distract them from the incessant heat.

"How did you find out about the teng root?" Thelma asked.

"Marie...." Gabrielle started and then remembered that Thelma wasn't supposed to know about Marie.

"Again with this Marie. Who is she?"

"Just someone I miss very much. That's all you need to know."

"Fine. Whatever. I hope the root didn't cost too much."

"It was a little expensive but it'll be worth it if continues to keep your stomach quiet."

"Ha ha. Very funny. I just hope we can afford it."

"Well... I'm hoping to make a bit of money from dancing so I think we'll have enough money. And hey. Maybe you could even join me for dancing once you've lost a bit of weight. That might even be fun."

Thelma sputtered a little.

"Oh, come on. Dancing would be better than cleaning rooms, wouldn't it?"

"I clean rooms to avoid men, remember? I think dancing would attract more attention than I could handle."

"Oh. Right." The queen also wanted to add that it wouldn't be appropriate for a lady but held her tongue.

"Oh!" Thelma suddenly blurted out. "What about your dancing outfit? Weren't you gonna model it?"

Gabrielle smiled. "You're right. It's time to unveil the dancing queen! Right after you leave the room so I can change my clothes." She still didn't feel comfortable undressing in front of the former man.

~o~O~o~

The tall, scantily clad woman had to try out her new dance moves along with the new outfit. She copied Marie's moves and lost herself in the dance, so much so, she didn't notice Thelma scowling at her.

"Well? What do you think?" Gabrielle turned to face her companion and froze. She quickly turned away and blushed. "That bad, huh?"

"Wha? Oh! Naw. It was good enough, if a bit indecent. That dance and outfit will empty the pockets of more than a few men."

Thelma surprised herself with her reaction. Did she not have a sex drive? Shouldn't she have found the dance at least a little arousing? It bothered her a little for some odd reason but she couldn't figure out why.

"Thanks. I think," the queen muttered.

Gabrielle stood in the middle of the room, tingling with excitement. 'It's like... foreplay,' she thought. 'Marie's dancing is definitely foreplay.'

"We don't have dancing like that back home," Thelma commented. "Women would make a fortune if they did."

"I'm not sure Kisprians could handle it, Thelma. We'd have to slowly work up to it I think."

The tall woman quickly walked over to the dining room for a drink of water and a change of subject. She couldn't stop thinking about her mate and suddenly remembered how she first learned to communicate with her.

"Thelma? Why haven't you learned at least a few words of the local language by now?"

"I'm not good with words." The former man looked down at his hands.

"So you didn't really try then."

"I tried!" he whined, a little too loud as usual.

Gabrielle winced, but she persisted. She was growing tired of having to translate everything.

"More than just names then?"

Thelma just sighed.

"Come on, Thelma. Just one word at a time. It won't be too difficult. I promise."

~o~O~o~

Gabrielle wanted to pull her hair out after only a few candle marks of time went by. Teaching Thelma was that difficult. She finally declared victory after getting her companion to recite "yes," "no," "hello" and "good bye" in the native language several times.

'Only four words! Mother Moon! Give me Strength!' she thought.

Thelma felt pretty happy with herself though, so it was difficult for the queen to stay angry.

"Be sure to practice those words everyday, Thelma. Use them whenever you can."

"Yeah yeah."

The two women lapsed into a comfortable silence then. They both sat in small wooden chairs and just enjoyed the warm, quiet evening. Only sounds of insects could be heard for a short time, until Thelma suddenly stirred. Gabrielle looked over at her and could just make out Thelma's eyes, staring at her in the dim light of dusk. Neither one of them had felt particularly motivated to light a lamp.

"What is it, Thelma? Is there anything wrong?"

"No, it's just.... You're glowing!"

"What? What are you talking about?" The queen looked down at herself but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

"You're glowing! You are!"

"Okay! Fine! Just please... stop shouting. And tell me quietly and calmly exactly what you mean."

~o~O~o~

After a short walk around town — something that had gotten much easier for Thelma with her exercise and dieting — they'd determined that, so far at least, Thelma could detect a faint glow around Gabrielle but no one else. It wasn't unusual that she couldn't see herself glow. A person's magic rarely worked on themselves.

The glow matched the color of Gabrielle's magic so they figured that Thelma's new talent must be magic detection. It took several days to develop but now that it had, it meant she had a way of finding her victims, those unfortunate enough to be teleported to the world of Agrin, because only Kisprians had magic talents.

"This is fantastic, Thelma. We can take them home with us, assuming they want to go, and right a wrong. It's a way of paying them back."

The former man tried to smile but he kept imagining what his victims would do to him if they had the chance.

"Oh, no. Stop that look right now, Thelma. I know what you're thinking but don't worry. We're not going to tell them who you used to be, and there's no way to tell by looking at you. You'll be safe enough."

"If you say so."

"I do, so wipe that sour look off your face and let's go get a bath. You can look for fellow Kisprians and I can make plans for my dancing debut tomorrow evening."

~o~O~o~

Thelma hadn't found any others with magic that night but the two women didn't see all that many people. They weren't discouraged. Thelma would have a much better opportunity to spot someone near the western edge of the markets, where the main crowds settled for the late afternoon and early evening entertainment.

Gabrielle had planned on going out early for two or three short dances to see how well they worked. She would save her longer dances for the cooler evening hours when she hoped to attract a large crowd so Thelma could look for Kisprians. If only she could bring herself to start dancing.

"I can do this. I can do this. I can do this." The queen chanted to herself, trying to work up the nerve to stop hiding behind the curtain that draped across her small stage area. Thelma stood waiting outside behind a short stone wall with the rest of the audience but Gabrielle suddenly wished her companion was with her. She figured the only thing that could motivate her to go out would be Thelma's whining.

The two women used up almost all of their remaining money to rent the stage so she had to go out. And she did, doing it the only way she could. She backed out so she couldn't see the audience, and she started dancing right way, slowly turning to face everyone as she lost herself in the dance.

Several men stood nearby, mesmerized by the erotic sight of Gabrielle's dance. They'd seen similar dances before but never with the dancer wearing so little clothing. So they actually behaved themselves for a little while, long enough for Gabrielle to gain enough confidence to carry on until the bad behavior began. And begin it did. It only took one of the men to snap out of it and start the wolf whistles and raunchy cheers before the rest joined in.

The queen smiled as she thought of Marie dancing. She wasn't really worried. If things got too terribly desperate, she could always use her magic on the men. That was one of the great things about her talent. Every man within range would turn into a woman. She didn't have to single them out and recharge. The former men would be shocked at their sudden change in gender. They'd be shouting and tripping over their clothes and she could easily slip away in the confusion. It wouldn't do much for her purse though.

She almost broke her form then. But she focused on Marie again and continued to smile. The men loved it.

One young man apparently loved her more than the rest though. He couldn't help himself when Gabrielle made eye contact with him. He was sure that she gave him the come hither look so he launched himself over the little stone wall towards her.

The man took Gabrielle by surprise. It was only luck that she was currently dancing within reach of her great sword. With one graceful spin, she grabbed her sword with both hands and spun around to face her would-be suitor. He stopped just in time to keep his life as the point of the sword rested in the hollow of his exposed throat, pricking him slightly enough to draw only a few drops of blood.

The queen kept her composure the whole time and managed to handle her sword easily enough. She thanked the Goddess, Sister Sun, for her supply of food and increasing strength. Then she turned her attention to the man. He annoyed her but she planned for just such an occasion so she played it out.

"Now that's what I call eager," Gabrielle shouted out to the audience. "I bet this young man just couldn't wait to see me dance with my sword. But that will have to wait until later. It's still a little too warm for such a vigorous dance. So let's give him a round of applause as he goes back to his friends."

The audience laughed and a few people clapped. The man looked around and realized his mistake. He backed off like he was advised and rubbed at the blood that dribbled down his chest.

Gabrielle resumed her dance with renewed confidence. The eager young man might not be so eager to give her money for her performance but the rest of the men certainly would be. It was going to be a good night. She hoped Thelma did as well looking for Kisprians later that evening.

~o~O~o~

 © 2012 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.