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The Last Shemale Queen

_A sequel to The Seduction of Seleste _

Breaking News

Chapter 35

True to their word, the Lepuna brought breakfast in the morning. With a sheet wrapped around her again, Tala accepted the tray at the door and thanked the small female who had brought it. She returned to the bed and tried to wake Yanaba to eat, but Yanaba seemed inclined to sleep. When Tala touched her shoulder, she moaned irritably and turned her face away, her mass of curls tumbling to hide her. Tala shrugged and contented herself to eat her half, leaving the rest on the nightstand for whenever Yanaba decided to awake.

Out in the corridor, sunlight reached down through the sea, and the light that danced across the stone floor was cyan blue. Tala wondered where Yatokya was. She remembered seeing a study off the hall . . . but didn't want to go naked. Her dress was back in the room she had initially shared with Yatokya . . . but she didn't want to walk in on her parents - doing - anything. She stood indecisively in the hall before deciding to just walk around naked. She'd been doing it for months now anyway.

Walking toward the study, Tala smiled to herself. At least one good thing had come out of her destroying the crystals: her parents were back together. She frowned. But was it worth it? Was it worth all those deaths? She kept thinking of Zyanya, the way the boy had cried so fiercely into Seleste's breasts . . . She had wanted to hold him too, to apologize for her hastiness and selfishness. Because she had been determined to free her mother, his mother was gone . . . and there were no unicorns to bring her back.

Tala came to the archway that opened on the study and peered into the room. It was surprisingly bright inside, and she realized it was because all the walls were made of glass. Here, fish swam by and reef stood like dour grave markers in the distance. A single bookshelf covered one glass wall, carved of tawny bright wood with flower engraving. There were cushioned chairs and footstools, little tables and corner tables, an old chest, and in the center of the room, a large desk - carved of the same tawny wood as the bookshelf.

Aayan was sitting on the desk, his back to the entrance, calmly watching as the fish flitted by. His cloak was gone, and Tala could see his muscular back. His broad shoulders were swept in his long white mane, which seemed to have grown over the period of time they had separated. He didn't turn his head as Tala came in, and she knew why: he knew exactly who was behind him.

Tala hopped up on the desk beside Aayan and took a breath. She didn't know how she was going to tell him about his child. She was frightened to tell him. He didn't even know he had a child. How does one break that sort of news?

Aayan still did not look at Tala, but she saw the slight curve of his lips. He was smiling for her. She smiled as well and dropped her head on his shoulder. And peace swept over her. She always felt . . . so content around Aayan. Perhaps because he was content inside. It made her dread what she had to tell him all the more.

Hello, Tala.

"Hello, Aayan."

Silence. Content silence.

You are troubled.

_ _"Yes . . ."

Learn from what happened on the ice and do not repeat your mistake. That is all you can do.

"That's easy for you to say. Their blood is on my paws . . ."

Then deal with it, Tala. And do not live in vain. Because that blood will never wash off.

Silence. Discontent this time.

"Aayan . . ."

Yes.

"Yatokya and I are going on a journey. To change the world."

Aayan smiled his rare smile again. You sound like me when I was seventeen. That's when I left home.

And when Nizhoni got pregnant with your child, Tala thought darkly. The vixen told her that it had taken place at least five years before. The child that the council in Miras Eii had hoped to use to manipulate Aayan's family. Once Tala learned of the conspiracy from Nizhoni, she suddenly understood why her mother had been so frantic to keep her hidden: the council could have used her in the same way. Tala smiled. Or they could have tried.

Where will you go first? Aayan quietly took her paw. After you go home, of course. Iniwa will have missed you. And Moema.

Tala twisted her fingers in Aayan's, her cheek on his broad shoulder. "That's difficult to say. The arrow tribe is going to have to pay for what they did to me. The summer tribe will be furious. There will be war . . . It will become difficult to travel. I still can't believe they kidnapped me to try and break into the Old Kingdom . . ."

And they didn't know what they were breaking into, Aayan scoffed. They thought the Old Kingdom - All'vidawn, as it was called - was a kingdom that had belonged to the Lepuna. The kingdom they sought is the one we are sitting in now. The library they sought is in All'vidawn. Had they entered All'vidawn, Iko might have killed them. They were fools.

"Yes," Tala agreed darkly.

Tala . . . I was the one who told them.

". . . what?"

I went to their village because I knew they had knowledge of Lepunatia. I thought perhaps there was something in the way the forgotten kingdom was constructed that could help me rebuild All'vidawn faster. They had knowledge of this. Their shaman is famous for his obsession with the lost kingdom.

I went in disguise as a wolf. Their shaman recognized me for what I was . . . gave me water with something in it. He was trying to make me show my true form, but I had visions of the future instead. I saw you. They decided to kidnap you and use your ancient blood to break the barrier. Meanwhile, they were going to kill me . . .

"Then what happened?" Tala wondered in astonishment.

Iko helped me escape. She returned me to the Old Kingdom. But I insisted on coming to protect you.

"You can change the future? I mean . . . aren't prophecies things that are set in stone?"

No. Prophecies are what can happen. One path in many. We can always choose, Tala. Nothing is set in stone. You could simply choose to go back to the summer village, sit on your tail, and do nothing.

"Aayan . . .?"

Tala.

"What if I did?" Tala said miserably. "I keep thinking of the frost wolves and how I screwed up . . . what if I screw up again? I don't want anyone else to die."

Do you want to live your life in fear, Tala? You can not recoil into a shell because you fail once. Get up and try again.

"Have you ever made a bad mistake like that?" she whispered miserably.

After some hesitation, he answered quietly, Yes.

Somehow, Tala knew he meant Nizhoni. If only he knew what had come of that mistake . . . She squeezed her eyes shut.

You passed through the Gates of Vi'sune, Aayan said, and Tala knew he was trying to change the subject.

"Yes! Aayan - I saw other Greater!" Tala whispered to him excitedly.

He smiled his rare half-smile again - which wasn't so rare around her. What were they like? He asked the question, but she had a feeling he already knew. Perhaps Iko had told him.

"They were beautiful," Tala whispered, her eyes fluttering wide. "Like Iko. Except the one I spoke to was really angry. And she seemed . . . really sad."

They are angry that their kingdom has fallen to ruin. Do you know why this happened, Tala?

"No. And you know I don't."

Aayan laughed into her mind, a pleasant sound. When my ancestors left All'vidawn to establish Miras Eii, there was a great battle. My ancestors wanted to enslave the shemales who lived with them as equals in All'vidawn.

"Shemales lived in the Old Kingdom?" Tala said in a hushed voice.

Yes. The foxes wanted them to care for the crystals and guard them from harm. The shemales fought back. Brutally. All'vidawn fell to ruin and the Greater - not wanting to take part in the violence - watched with tears as the slow beauty and peace of their world collapsed.

It is believed many of them died of sadness. Though Greater do not really die. Like foxes, they lie down and never wake again. There are many Greater entombed in Vi'sune, sleeping under the lake. The unicorns have legends that one day the Greater will return and care for their children again. But that is a false hope, I think.

"Why?"

Sometimes . . . it is better to let children figure it out for themselves.

Tala nodded sadly. The world needed to change on its own.

The Greater you saw,_went on Aayan quietly, _are all that chose to remain in this world. They guard the Gates of Vi'sune because they believe Vi'sune is the last place of purity. The last place truly worth protecting . . .

Tala scoffed. The unicorns were anything but pure. Their souls seemed pure of hatred, that was true. But they were the horniest . . . they were innocence and burning passion combined.

How did you like King Eyrrothaz? Aayan asked - with such a wise tone that Tala blushed a little.

"He . . . I . . ." Tala stammered herself silent and sighed miserably.

Aayan laughed into her mind again. I foresaw that you would arrive in Vi'sune. I just wasn't sure when you would arrive. It could have been tomorrow or two years from now. So when Iko scried you in the waters of Lepunatia, I knew she was right. I . . . saw you with the king.

"Oh god . . ." _ _

It was nothing too telling. Only a little telling. You kissed him goodbye. You kissed his cheek. And when you turned away again, he was very sad.

"Oh . . ."

King Eyrrothaz spent thousands of years dreaming of you, Tala. When his father cursed him, he remained a boy in many ways - not just in body and libido, but in mind as well. Surely, you noticed this.

"I did," Tala said, her face scrunching up as she remembered that first night with the unicorn king. "He was so . . . full of himself."

Yes. No doubt he thought you would fall in his arms the moment you arrived. And when you did not, he was crushed.

"How do you know all this?" Tala blinked.

Do you possibly understand how old the Eternal One is? There are books about him in All'vidawn, for god's sake . . .

". . .oh."

There were biographies about his life and activities. When I had my vision of him, I read up on him immediately. He is famed for his obsession with you by a cynical scholar of his who called you "The Tala Myth" and believed you would never arrive. The scholar is dead, of course, which is a shame. Would have been nice to hear that the king rubbed your arrival in his face . . .

Tala laughed.

But you developed affection for him, at least. That is good. I hope you were kind to him.

"You sympathize so much with him, Aayan," Tala said in wonder. "Why?"

Tala . . . I am also cursed. To be cursed . . . is to be alone.

Tala's brows pressed together as she remembered: there were only three in all the world who could hear Aayan. Three. It was no small wonder that he took such pleasure in Iko's company.

"But you aren't alone," Tala said, rubbing his arm. "You've got Iko. Where is she, anyway?" _ _

She returned to All'vidawn. To wait for me.

". . . when are you going back?" Tala asked, trying and failing to keep the dread from her voice. She didn't want Aayan to leave. The thought of him traveling alone frightened her. And if he left before she got up the nerve to tell him about his child . . .

When you are safe in the summer village once more. I blame myself for the frost wolves as well, Tala. I should have been firm with you. I should have told you no and taken you home.

"No," Tala said at once and shook her head, "we will not play this melancholy game, Aayan. I am responsible for my own actions!"

Aayan smiled at her. As you wish. The shit is on your face and your face alone then.

Tala laughed.

A content pause. Tala rested her cheek on his shoulder again. She was surprised when he rested his cheek on her mane. They were still holding paws, and she curled her fingers lazily in his.

My mother. Did you see her?

"No, Aayan. I'm sorry. . . . Why don't you just go to her?"

I told you. They would keep me there.

"I . . . saw Nizhoni." Tala swallowed wretchedly, willing herself to go on.

Aayan's ears pricked forward. Nizhoni? He lifted his head, and his flat, emotionless eyes searched her.

Tala lifted her head from his cheek and stared at her lap, letting her long straight mane swing forward to hide her. Noting this maneuver, Aayan pushed her mane behind her shoulder.

Tala?

"Aayan, she . . ."

I have a feeling she didn't just say hello. By the look on your face, she turned purple and coughed up bricks.

"Close. She had your child."

All the glass in the room shattered.