By J. Allan J. - jallanj@yahoo.dk

Myria gives birth to Lucius' son, Gibbus.

This story is continued from Chapter X: 'Protecting the Hittite princess'.

Short synopsis:

Anticipating another girl child, Myria is gravely disappointed when she gives birth to a boy instead. To make matters worse, Lucius boldly claims the child as his son and heir, which almost puts an end to their relationship. However, Lucius manages to salvage their fragile marriage by inviting Myria on a bandit hunting expedition where she single-handedly kills more than 20 brigands.

The story:

It was midsummer in the third year of their marriage. Myria's second pregnancy was coming to an end and she would give birth soon. Myria was no stranger to birth-giving by now. Her great belly weighted her down, but she took things easy these days and no longer insisted on riding to the Amazon outpost every day. Instead, she stayed at home where she entertained her guests like a queen holding court, while Lucius moved servilely around her.

Although he seemed calm and without worry on the outside, Lucius had great concerns of his own; he clearly remembered how his fellow Gargarean officer had lost his wife and family when his Amazon wife gave birth to a boy child. See Chapter IX: 'The birth of Callista'

However, Lucius was in a great dilemma regarding a birth of a boy child; according to the tradition of his old country, the firstborn boy child must always survive and stay with his father until he reached adulthood to ensure a successful marriage, or else their relationship would be doomed and his bloodline would be tainted. Therefore, Lucius could not just give his firstborn boy child away, even though, claiming a son and heir by an Amazon, and an Amazon commander on top of that, could easily put an end to their marriage as well. However, Lucius had long since learned how to tread lightly when being married to a dominant female like Myria. Therefore, he carefully bided his time, while he waited for the right moment to ask her permission to have a son.

Although Lucius was the submissive part in their relationship, there was one thing in his favour; he knew how to give his dominant wife sexual pleasure and this could very well be to his advantage. So, night after night, she enjoyed his gentle fingers and clever tongue in her pussy. Due to her great belly, she did not sit on his face anymore, but she happily lolled back in the bed, while Lucius kneeled on front of her and buried his head in between her thighs. However, he did not only use his tongue, he also let his hands and fingers to explore her body; his hands massaged her swollen breasts and his fingers gentled pinched her erect nibbles.

In the first few months of their marriage, she would have broken his fingers if he ever would dare to tough her with anything than his tongue. However, Myria had long since then eased up quite a bit and now willingly let him please her in any way he pleased.

And so it happened one night, Lucius managed to provide his Amazon wife with a series of multi-climaxing orgasms. He relentlessly kept up his worshipping of her pussy-temple until her pussy was sated and sore from his thorough licking and caressing. Myria called for a halt and told him to crawl back into the bed and lie down beside her. She put her head on his shoulder and rested in his arms while she purred like a cat. She no longer cared or even noticed that Lucius was holding her like her female lovers. Lucius in turn sensed that the time was right to make his bold move.

"My wife and Mistress," Lucius began in a sweet and submissive voice. "We have to take into consideration that the ways of Mother Nature sometimes are unpredictable."

"I mean, there is always the risk of .. ehh ..," he paused as he lacked to courage to address her directly. However, Myria knew already what he wanted, but she was not in the mood for arguing, she only wanted to sleep and did not want to start any debate on boy children. "Well, I assume you want to know about whether you can have a boy child by me to call your son and heir," Myria said half asleep. "Well, I first have to deliver the girl children that I owe the Amazon nation, and then we will see what happens."

These words from her were polite, but also empty, because Myria never planned to anymore children, once she had secured her return to the Amazon realm. Lucius on the other hand took this as her consent to that he could have a son by her to call his own. This would be the root cause of their differences regarding boy-children.

A few days later, the water broke and Lucius sent for the Obstetrix (the Amazon word for midwife), who arrived in due time to oversee Myria giving birth. Myria on the other hand sent word to the Amazon outpost to gather her fellow Amazons around her. She wanted her fellow sisters in arms close when she announced that she was leaving the nation of the Gargareans to return to her rightful place in Amazonia.

When her birth pangs began, Myria was no longer intimidated by the stinging pain, which was not at all getting to her by now. Instead, she revelled in the birth pain that speeded on her way like a ship riding out a storm. Everything went smoothly and well, even Lucius was allowed to stay in the room, while Myria gave birth. Anticipating returning home to Amazonia soon, Myria gladly took the pain of giving birth. Then Myria stood up and held on to the ropes in the ceiling when the baby was coming and with a loud groan, she gave birth to a healthy baby, but then her luck ran out and disaster struck; the child that the Obstetrix presented to her was a boy!

The impossible had happened; Commander Myria gave birth to a son and not a daughter. Myria put her arms up in order to protect herself as if the new-born boy-child was contagious.

"Take that filth and dumb it outside the city-gate or else give it someone who has use of it. This boy child is no child of mine," Myria proclaimed. "Hold on! I am the boy?s legal father," Lucius stepped up and spoke. "I claim this child as my legal son and heir."

"You will do no much thing. This child is an abomination," Myria snapped at him.

"My dear wife and mistress, you have promised me a son," Lucius calmly said. "Mother Nature has spoken and granted me a son on this day."

"How dare you speak the name of Mother Nature in front of Amazons," Myria spat at him. "This is sacrilege, you ignorant male."

"Mother Nature has chosen to grant me a son," Lucius said moreover and stood firm. "I did not ask for a son at this moment, but yet a son has been born to me today. I have stated my claim which is my right by the law of the Gargarean nation and the will of Mother Nature. And I have nothing more to say," Lucius concluded.

The midwife kept her senses together and quickly analysed the situation; Lucius was unarmed and outnumbered. All the Amazons in the room were all armed with either swords or daggers. They openly discussed whether they should simply rip the boy child from him and kill it in order to save their commander from losing face. Lucius in turn was totally unaware of the peril that he was in. He just looked amazed down at his new-born baby boy. Don't worry little one, nobody is gonna put you out, not while I still draw breath. I shall name you Gibbus and I shall teach you everything; how to ride horses and fight with a sword. And you shall learn how to shot with a bow, but that's your mother's department.

"Sir, have you any idea what you are getting yourself into?" The midwife shook him to awake him from his dreamlike state of mind. Lucius slowly came back to reality and the Obstetrix addressed him again. "Any fool with a stiff dick can produce a child. But to raise one, that takes guts and courage. Do you even know the basics of child-caring like what to feed him and how to keep him clean?"

The midwife had a point there; Lucius came from a male-dominated society to the west, where men did not take any part in child-caring and where the women took no part in warfare and politics. Realizing his shortcomings, Lucius had hoped that Myria would teach him the basics about child-caring when the time was right. Unfortunately, the boy-child had come much too soon for Myria to take in. Lucius explained that he simply had claimed the firstborn boy-child as his son and heir in order to ensure a successful marriage. Although, he was fully aware that he also ran the risk of losing his beloved Amazon wife by claiming a son by her.

"You are living in the past, you fool!" The midwife scolded him. "You have now started a private war against your wife regarding your son. I can try to even the odds for you, but you have to win this battle on your own. Your Amazon wife may not be as cold-hearted as she appears, but now the push will come to shove. So, here is what you must do," the midwife then explained that Lucius had to keep his infant child close to Myria and let her hear him cry relentlessly. She would not be able to escape the fact that she has given birth to him and she would then eventually be overpowered by her natural instinct to feed her own offspring.

"It's almost midnight," the Obstetrix said. "I will come by in the morning to check on your situation. If your wife is not feeding your son by then, she will have rejected the child and I will arrange for a wet nurse to feed your son instead."

Then the midwife addressed the Amazons in the room. "Ladies hear, hear my good ladies. Commander Myria is very tired from having given birth. Now let us give the married couple some breathing space so that they can discuss their private family matters in peace." The Amazons looked at Myria, who in turn just nodded her head and made them leave along with the midwife. Myria was tired and sad and just wanted to sleep. She could not yet grasp the terrible trick that Mother Nature had played on her.

"Please understand that I'm not trying to shame you or make you look like a fool," Lucius courteously addressed Myria and humbly asked her to feed their new-born child. "I only want one son to call my own and I shall never claim another. This I swear by the name of Mother Nature." However, Myria refused to feed Gibbus and turned on her side. Lucius in turn followed suit and went to the other side of the bed with Gibbus on his arm. "I understand that you are angry and disappointed, but please don?t take it out on an innocent life - he has done nothing to cause you harm, except being born and that was not his choice, and not mine neither."

"Will you not feed him, please," Lucius got down on his knees and humbly kissed her feet. "I implore you, my dear Mistress, please feed my son."

"Never!" Myria spat at him. "You can feed your own vomit to him, you wretched blue-bird." Didn't birds regurgitate their food to feed to their ever hungry offspring? Lucius on the other hand ignored her insults and stood stoically in front of her with his crying son in his arms. This cruel spectacle went on for hours. Occasionally, Lucius went to the kitchen and wetted his child's lips with water. The child's desperate crying for nutrition pounded on both their brains, but on top of that, Myria's breasts were swollen with mother's milk and aching for release. This was a showdown; a test of mental strength, iron-will against iron-will and neither of them wanted to give in.

Yet, when Lucius was ready to give in and take Gibbus outside to feed him goat milk, Myria finally gave in. "Well, hand that stupid brat to me," she snarled aggressively and took the child to her swollen breasts to let him suckle. "I will feed your son for three months and then you are on your own. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, my dear wife and mistress," Lucius humbly said. "I'm not your wife anymore!" she spat at him. "So don't call me that." However, Lucius took no heed to her angry words, he only felt a great relief by the fact that Myria was finally feeding their son. He therefore took his clothes off and lay down on the bed next to Myria, who was still feeding Gibbus. Lucius was immensely tired and quickly fell asleep. Myria fed Gibbus until he was full and could not suckle anymore. Then she placed him on Lucius chest to sleep and dozed off herself.

When she awoke, she noticed by the smell that Gibbus had vomited and shit himself all over his father's chest. "Lucius," she called and gently awoke him. "Get the brat and yourself outside and clean yourselves, I will not have this mess inside the house."

"And don't spill a drop or I will make you licked it up!" she called after him as he stumbled out of the bed and through the living room to the well outside with infant Gibbus in his arms.

While Lucius clumsily tried to clean himself and his infant son by the well, Androlyta and Blasius along with their daughter Lucienda suddenly walked in through the gate. "Congratulations on the birth of your son, Master Lucius," Blasius courteous said and saluted him. Although Lucius disliked the title 'Master', Blasius still used his old title on special occasions in order to show his respect. "I thank thy, my noble friends. But how did you know that Myria gave birth to a son?" Lucius said greeted them.

"Well, because you are holding him," Androlyta said. And because his little dingy is sticking out, like his father's. But Androlyta did not comment on the fact that Lucius stood stark naked in front of them. Instead, she sent Blasius along with Lucienda inside to say some comforting words to Myria. The visitors were well aware that the situation was very precarious for her, but Blasius was very good with handling situations like this.

"Shall I give you a hand with cleaning your son?" Androlyta suggested. Lucius willing handed her his child and carefully listed to her instructions; how he should go to the woods and gather moss and let it dry in the sun. Then stuff the dried moss in the underwear of Gibbus in order to suck up his excrements. Lucius only needed to remember to replace the dried moss regularly.

Only then Lucius realized that he was stark-naked. "I'm terribly sorry for my embarrassing condition, Lady Androlyta," he said while he covered his genitals with his hands.

"That's perfectly alright, my dear. I have seen naked males before and I have also seen you naked before," Androlyta courteous said. She clearly remembered how Myria had marched him stark-naked through the streets of Themiskyra when Lucius first arrived along with Blasius and the rest of the Thermodonians. Androlyta was so appalled by the sight of this, that she immediately informed the Queen, who luckily put an end to this humiliating spectacle. See Chapter I: 'Beginning a new life with an Amazon'.

"What's his name?" Androlyta asked while she curdled the infant son of Lucius. "Gibbus, after my father," he answered. "Hrff, I see that you are still clinging on to the costumes of your old country," Androlyta commented. "But I guess it?s is no use lecturing you to let it go. Blasius is just the same; he still calls you 'Master' even though this was in his former life."

"Myria is going to leave me," Lucius suddenly sniffled. "No, Myria won't leave you, she is not that stupid," Androlyta assured him. Although, she is an Amazon. "She will travel down south from time to time to visit her female lovers, but she will always return to you like flowers in the spring. She won't admit it, but she has grown accustom to the comforts that you offer her up here by now."

"But no more boy children, you hear!" Androlyta lectured him. "Absolutely not, ma'am" he replied. "I don't think that we will have any more children." Just as well, Androlyta thought to herself. Why Myria even bothered to have children in the first place had always puzzled Androlyta. Myria was only eager to get back on the battlefields and was not at all interested in raising a family and despite Lucius? good intentions, he didn't know much about child caring. The two of them were obviously not suitable as parents, but yet they still had children together and now they just had to make the best of it.

At the living room table, Androlyta and Blasius tried to make friendly conversation, while they took turns in holding little Gibbus. When Myria gave birth to Callista, the house was full of loud Amazons celebrating, but now the house was quiet and the atmosphere was a little tense, but at least the guests had breathing space. The midwife also turned up as promised and was invited in to sit at the table and sib a cup of wine for a job well-done. Myria in turn ignored the visitors and looked longingly at the little girls Callista and Lucienda, who played joyfully together on the wooden floor. What she wouldn't give for having two girl children on her arms at this moment.

"Lady Myria," Androlyta suddenly addressed her. "I understand that you plan to travel back to Amazonia in a few months from now." Myria came back to reality. "Yes, I ehh .., I have some important business that I need to sort out back in Themiskyra."

"Well, of course one should never leave unfinished business behind," Androlyta said. "However, the south may not hold the answers that you seek and you should remember that people up here will always love and respect you for what you are, and not for what you wish to become."

These words were true; Lucius would always love her, regardless if she would ever take the battlefields again or not. But Myria on the other hand could never find true happiness before she was back in wars again. Therefore, their marriage became an uneasy stalemate. Days passed by while they didn?t touch each other, nor did they have sex anymore and they hardly even talked to each other. Neither of them was happy with the situation, nor could any of them do anything to change things for the better. Lucius could not give away his son, nor could Myria return to Amazonia bringing a spouse bearing a boy child with her.

Myria soon returned to her chores at the Amazon outpost. She did of course not bring Gibbus with her like she used to bring Callista with her, because she couldn?t be seen publicly holding a boy child. Therefore, a wet nurse fed Gibbus in her absence. Days turned into fortnights, fortnights into months, and then suddenly one day Lucius came home and walked in through the door, only to find that his wife and mistress had packed her all personal items and was now ready to leave. She had strapped Callista on her back and she was feeding Gibbus one last time.

"Has the day come already, my dear wife and mistress?" he asked in disbelief.

"The day has come, and the hour too!" she said and gave him the final instructions on how to feed his son and how to keep him clean and healthy in the future. Lucius tried to listen, but his heart was galloping, his mind was reeling and he couldn't fully make out her words. Only the fact that she was leaving was clear to him. This was it; his beloved wife and mistress were in fact leaving him!

Then Myria made to leave. "Goodbye now, Lucianus of the Gargarean nation," she said to him in a very formal tone and went outside. Myria took her horse from the staple and loaded her personal belongings on it. Lucius stood motionless on the porch at first, but then he suddenly rushed forward and got down on all four in order to show humility on front of his mistress - that is; all three, because he was still holding Gibbus on his arm. However, his display of humility was not to her liking in this situation. "Don't throw yourself in the dirt, you stupid moron!" she scolded him and kicked hard on the buttocks. "You got a child on your arm!"

Lucius got up and instead took the bridle of Myria's horse and held it, while she jumped on the saddle. Then he handed the bridle to her, but when she took it, he held on to it and looked at her and their eyes locked.

"Pl.., ple.., please don't leave me, dear Mistress," Lucius said in a meek and submissive voice. "I'll be good." He looked pleading at her, while Myria in turn couldn't even look at him; he appeared weak and pathetic in her eyes with all his feelings for her exposed. Yet, she was strangely drawn to him and wasn't all too happy to leave him.

The two of them paused, but then Callista sensed that something terrible was about to happen and started crying loudly, while she reached for her father. She could not speak yet, but her message was clear as day. Myria in turn sighed loudly. The world is turning against me. Even my own offspring is going up against me now. Therefore, Myria unstrapped Callista from her back and handed her to Lucius. "Take good care of my daughter while I'm away," Myria firmly said. "If something happens to her, I will have you hide!"

Standing with a child on each arm, Lucius bowed deeply to his wife and mistress while she galloped out the gate and down the street to the main road and then out of town. She discreetly wiped a tear from her eye while she rode off. Parting from Lucius had taken a much bigger emotional toll on her than she had expected. Yet she smiled to herself, leaving her daughter with Lucius was perhaps after all a good tactical move; it gave Myria some bargaining power against the Queen, if there was to be a showdown.

Myria arrived at Themiskyra a few days later. Inside the city gates, she rode past a tavern and felt a strong urge to stop and drink herself to oblivion, but she rode on by because she remembered how heavy drinking had caused her great misery in the past. In fact, too much wine was the root-cause of her misfortunes, therefore she stayed away from alcohol during her entire stay in Themiskyra.

Instead, Myria went to the library to take Gemmalina's consult before facing the Queen. She did not choose Gemmalina by chance; the two of them were close friends, but they only had sex occasionally and they were not lovers as such. In fact, Gemmalina equally respected Myria and Lucius alike. Myria's Amazon friends were all biased against Lucius while Tormentrix Eudoxia was bonded to Lucius by her tragic past and was therefore not objective either. Therefore, Gemmalina was the obvious choice regarding who to consult on how to move forward.

"Dearest Myria, welcome back," Gemmalina greeted her, then hugged her and kissed cheeks. "It's good to see you again. I heard about your still-born child and I'm so sorry for you loss."

"A still-born child! Is that what people say about me?" Myria said. "Well, I'm afraid the truth is a lot more sinister than that, my dear Gemmalina."

The two of them went into Gemmalina's private study to talk in peace. The rumour had spread from the north that Myria had given birth to a still-born child. This rumour was started by the other Amazons who were present with Myria on that fatal night. The shame would surely damage her career if it became publicly known throughout Amazonia that her spouse had claimed a boy child by her as his official son and heir.

"My spouse has painfully turned against me!" Myria explained. "Lucius has betrayed my trust and viciously claimed the boy child that I was so unfortunate to give birth to. As if Mother Nature had not punished me enough, Lucius has publicly shamed me." Myria's news came as quite a shock to Gemmalina. "A boy child is ill news indeed," she said. "Yet, I don't understand his motives. Lucius does not strike me as a vindictive person."

"He is traitorous male, who was been biding his time while he waited for his moment to stab me in the back," Myria hissed. Yet, this made no sense in the eyes of Gemmalina; Lucius had willingly taken injuries from the very beginning of their marriage, so why did he now suddenly challenge her? "Surely, his feelings for you are unchanged," she objected. "Why would he suddenly do something that is bound to publicly shame you?" Gemmalina asked and then she paused.

"Unless you have promised him something!" she added and stared Myria straight in the eyes. Myria in turn blushed and looked down. "Well, I may have said some hasty words. But Lucius is holding flesh and blood now, which was not part of the plan," Myria said and she reluctantly had to admit that she might had hinted something about that Lucius could maybe ? just maybe - have a son by her in given time due to the intense sexual satisfaction that he had just given her prior to making his bold request. But this was trickery and unfair in Myria's eyes.

Gemmalina in turn just sighed and looked to the ceiling. "Myria, you made the wine and therefore you have to drink the cup. You can't blame Lucius for your misfortune; he just rolls the dice that he has been given. Because he is the submissive part in your relationship, he therefore shrewdly uses the same tactics as the 'cocksuckers' to the west uses when they need something from their dominant husbands," Gemmalina explained. The Amazons usually referred to women living under male domination as cocksuckers, just like Lucius often were referred to as 'cuntlicker' by males in the west.

Myria felt humiliated by the thought of being outwitted by Lucius, who was male and therefore an inferior being in her eyes. However, Myria had made solemn promises to some very important people; she had promised Queen Hentiope to bring girl children into the world and she had promised Tormentress Eudoxia to return to Amazonia and live with her in Themiskyra. Therefore, it would have been best for everybody if Myria had given birth to another girl child. And then Lucius could have followed her back to Amazonia to live a quiet life, while Myria went back to the wars.

"But he can't stay here unless he is crippled and you have sworn never to do so - or that is what I have heard," Gemmalina politely pointed out to her. However, Myria explained that Lucius didn't need to be exactly crippled; he only had to hang up his sword and publicly walk around with his arm in a sling. And he wouldn't be the first male in Themiskyra to fake an injury; Myria had personally witnessed how a young male walked submissively behind his mistress with his arm in a sling in the market. Suddenly, the Amazon stumbled and almost fell, but her spouse quickly reached out with his 'injured' arm to support her. Once his wife had regained balance, the male spouse discreetly put his arm back in the sling and the two of them walked off as nothing had happened.

"That's all very cute, but Lucius is trained warrior and not a harmless peasant," Gemmalina explained. "He is much too young to hang up his sword; he is not even 30 years of age yet. He can't spend the rest of his days reading books and scrolls in the library. He needs to have a commission of his own or else he will go crazy from boredom and then he might end up doing some reckless deeds, which will fall back on you in the end."

"You must give him enough room to spread his wings and the only place that he can do that is up in the nation of the Gargareans, plain and simple." Gemmalina said. "Now, if the Queen demands girl-children, you should go back and reconcile with him in order to produce another child, chances are that .."

"Never!" Myria fumed. "I would rather face 100 hardened barbarians single-handed than give birth to another child. The pain is too great and the outcome is too uncertain." Myria was resolved on never to have children again. "Then you must go tell that to the Queen," Gemmalina suggested.

"Right you are, my dear Gemmalina! I shall approach Hentiope this very moment!" Perhaps Myria could find a way out by offering the Queen something else to redeem herself instead of bearing children. "Will you come with me, please?" Myria suggested. Gemmalina was good with words and could maybe offer her assistance if Queen Hentiope would refuse her, but Gemmalina felt that this might be a mistake. "Myria, this is your affair and therefore you must sort it out yourself. If I, along with your other friends like Tormentress Eudoxia and whomever you can persuade to follow you to the royal palace in order to address our noble Queen Hentiope, she will only think that you are trying to intimidate her with numbers and that simply won't do," Gemmalina pointed out. "Instead, you must show her that you are not afraid of her and face her wrath alone."

"Right you are again," Myria said and thanked Gemmalina for her wise consults, then hugged and kissed her. Myria immediately rode to the royal palace, where she politely asked the guards outside for an audience with Queen Hentiope. She waited patiently in the hallway before the guards called her in. The Queen was in the war-room and was rather annoyed that she had to break up a meeting and postpone important decisions on how to deal with new enemies who now once again were at the door Amazon realm. However, Myria was a Front Commander and could not be ignored, even if she was only the commander of the northern front.

Myria felt a painful sting in her heart when she entered the war room and saw the charts and figurines on the large table. The items painfully reminded her of the world that she longed to belong to, but was deprived from at the moment.

"Why are you here, Commander Myria? You have no girl children to show," Queen Hentiope called to her when they met. "I'm sorry that you lost your child, but you are still young and can produce another. Your business is up in the north, not here."

"False news has travelled ahead of me, Your Majesty," Myria said and duly curtsied to the Queen. "The child that I gave birth to was healthy enough, but unfortunately it was a boy-child. And on top of that, Lucius claimed it as his son and heir."

"Did he now? I never thought that little fool had it in him to make such a bold claim," Queen Hentiope said. "Indeed!" Myria said. "He had the nerve to shame me in front of my sisters in arms, who were present in the house when I gave birth to that ugly little brat."

"What! Did he in fact claim a boy child as his son in a room full of armed Amazons?" Queen Hentiope asked in disbelief. "He must be either very brave or immensely stupid."

"Ney, he's just ignorant. He only had eyes for his precious little brat and never even realized the peril that he put himself in as my fellow sister in arms was getting ready to strangle his boy child, and him as well," Myria explained. "However, the Gargarean midwife came to his rescue, but she is a cocksucker and she doesn't know any better."

"However, my private injuries are not the reason for my visit today," Myria said in a formal manner. She then paused to gather her strength before she continued. "I want out of this childbearing business! I?m a warrior not a breeder. I?m rotting away up in the north, so please give me another assignment to make up for the losses that I caused the Amazon Queendom."

"Please, I beg of you, Your Highness," Myria pleaded and humbly kneeled to her Queen. "There must be another way that I can show my loyalty to you and make amends for my wrongdoings in the past."

"What do you have in mind, Commander?" the Queen asked. "I want action!" Myria proclaimed and got back on her feet. "I will gladly put my life in danger; give me a Uriah's post or a suicide mission, I don't care, but no more childbearing!"

"Very well," Queen Hentiope said. "If your mind is set on action, I shall see what I can think of. In the meantime, return to you chores in the north. New recruits must still be trained in order for our army to function."

"I will, your majesty," Myria promised. "And what about Lucius, the root cause of my misfortunes?"

"He is still your responsibility! If you don't feel up to the task of keeping him under control, I shall find someone who is capable of doing a better job," the Queen barked at her.

"No need, your majesty, I shall keep an eye on Lucius as well," Myria said and sighed. Divorce was obviously out of the question for now. If Myria wanted to please her Queen, she would just have to swallow her pride and put up with him for a little while longer.

Myria curtsied deeply to Queen Hentiope as goodbye and went out to seek out Eudoxia in the Royal Palace. Myria had to inform her about her personal misfortunes which painfully also effected Eudoxia and their plans for the future. Myria found her in hallway of the upstairs quarters, where Eudoxia resided in her private room.

"Myria, my love, you have finally arrived," Eudoxia called out and ran to her as soon as she saw her. But then she suddenly froze. "But why do you come alone? Where are the children and where is Lucius?" Myria had promised Eudoxia that she would come back to Themiskyra and live with her, along with Lucius and the children. However, Myria arrived alone, and that did not bode well.

"I come alone because I'm only passing through and can't stay here. I'm so sorry for letting you down," Myria sighed and looked down in the floor as if she was too embarrassed to face Eudoxia. "Is it true then? The child that you gave birth to was actually still-born?" Eudoxia asked.

"No, the child was healthy, but was a boy and .." Myria began. "The boy was healthy, but why the sour face then?" Eudoxia asked. "Because I needed another girl-child to get back and re-join my sister at arms in the wars," Myria explained.

"Wars! Is that all you can think off?" Eudoxia fumed. "The battles that you so much long for can easily get you killed! I can still come and see you up north at any time. What good are you to me dead? I can't put my arms around a distant memory," Eudoxia was not fond of the idea that Myria wanted to get back to the wars; firstly, it could get her killed, but she was also irritated that she would have to share Myria with other sisters in arms, when she was out in the fields. Myria would only show fidelity towards Eudoxia when she was away from the wars.

Eudoxia came from the west where fidelity was a virtue. And as long as Myria was married to Lucius and stayed with him up north, she was safe. Eudoxia wanted Myria to retire from warfare and live a quiet life with her, Lucius and the children, male or female. She regarded them all as family.

However, Eudoxia opened her arms and smiled. "Come now, let us not argue over things that we cannot change. I am of course glad to see you." The two of them had not seen each other in several months and therefore was completely absurd that when they finally met, they immediately started scolding each other instead of kissing and making up.

Eudoxia hugged her and then gently kissed her. Then Eudoxia took Myria's hand gently led her to her room. Inside the two of them quickly undressed each other and left their clothes in two piles on the floor. Now it was time for some lecherous lovemaking which Amazons only performed with their closest female lovers.

At first, Eudoxia's hungry tongue explored the watery mouth of Myria. Then Eudoxia bit softly into Myria's ear as her hand in turn started to stroke Eudoxia's thigh, which sent shivers up both of their spines. Eudoxia tiny pink nipples stiffened as Myria bitted softly into her throat. She sighed as she felt her pussy getting soft and wet.

While the two wanton females continued kissing and caressing each other, they moved slowly back towards the bed. Eudoxia proceeded to lie down on her back and spread her legs and open her arms, inviting Myria to take the lead. She followed Eudoxia as she lay back, kissing her passionately while her bold hands roamed that perfect shaped muscular body. She placed her hungry lips on one of Eudoxia's stiff nipples, sucking it and nipping at it with her teeth and clever tongue, while her hand played with the other nipple. Eudoxia arched her back, thrusting her nipples up higher towards Myria's demanding lips and fingers.

Myria kissed Eudoxia's body lower and lower and moved herself until she was positioned between Eudoxia's legs. She put her mouth over swollen pussy with wetness glinting, licking at that hard nub (or magic spot which the Amazons usually called it) that seemed to be pointing straight up like a beacon from the top of her pussy, red, hard and engorged with pure lust.

She gently parted Eudoxia's nether lips with her bold fingers and let her tongue slide inside her pussy. She savoured the taste of her sex. "Dearest Eudoxia. It has been so long since I last tasted you," she whispered sweetly, while she ate her dearest friend's pussy out. Eudoxia moaned loudly and arched again, forcing her pussy into the face of Myria, while she began to writhe under her. Her pussy juice leaked from her sex and Myria eagerly slurped up all of it as if they were the finest wines.

Then Myria inserted her fingers into Eudoxia's pussy. First one then two, gently pushing them between those lowly red swollen pussy-lips, ramming her fingers upwards deep inside of Eudoxia's womb, while she licked hard at her nub. With her other hand, Myria began to pinch her nipples, pulling and twisting them. Eudoxia groaned loudly due to the mixed sensations of tense sexual pain and intense sexual pleasure.

Then Eudoxia groined loudly and came in a massive orgasm, her pussy opened like a flower, with juices flowing freely. She whimpered softly while Myria continued to gently lick her swollen pussy.

Eudoxia took Myria by the hair and gently but firmly pulled her towards her, kissing her passionately, tasting her own pussy juices on the tongue of Myria. Now Eudoxia made Myria lie down on her back and lay on top of her. She cupped Myria's big beautiful breasts and kissed them. Then sucked and licked on her swollen nibbles.

She put her crotch to the pussy of Myria and slowly, but firmly began to rub it. Then she let herself go and began to pant, rubbing harder and faster, while Myria moaned and pushed her pussy towards the demanding crotch, which persistently rubbed against her sex, like a siege engine hammering down a city-gate. Myria soon felt the tightening of pussy, which spawned into the rest of her body. Then she came in an equally massive orgasm as Eudoxia's, which made her pussy squirt all over the crotch of Eudoxia.

"You wetted yourself and me as well," Eudoxia giggled and rubbed her fingers in Myria's wet and swollen pussy. "Now taste yourself," she said and put them inside Myria's mouth, making her lick of her own pussy juices from Eudoxia's fingers.

They continued their female fornicating for hours on end until they both were finally sexually sated and went to sleep.

Myria stayed with Eudoxia in her room for the next fortnight, doing practically nothing but having sex and making up for lost times. Occasionally, she sat and talked with Gemmalina in the library or visited the two old emissaries and a few of her other old friends who were present in Themiskyra during her stay.

However, the Queen soon got annoyed when Myria still stayed in Themiskyra instead of returning to her chores up north. At the dinner table in the royal palace Hentiope came with some very harsh remarks towards her which became ever more embarrassing for both Myria and Eudoxia as well. Finally, even Eudoxia told her to leave; "You are a married woman and therefore you must return up north to your husband and your children! You have duties up there and you must obey our noble Queen."

"And Lucius, your dear husband, needs you at his side; you have left in charge of two young children," Eudoxia pointed out.

"Lucius doesn't need anyone; he will be whoring his way through every Gargarean slut who is willing to sit on his face in my absence," Myria said angrily.

"No, he won't. You wound him - and me as well," Eudoxia parried. "Stop sulking and do your duty. If you get on the bad side of our Queen, then you will lose everything. Shape up and show some backbone."

After this telling off, Myria finally decided to leave and so once again with a weary heart, she rode up north to the nation of the Gargareans.

Meanwhile back in Damasya, Lucius was left alone with two young children to take care off. The wet nurse and the old nanny duly gave him a hand, but he quickly grew sad and missed Myria while he suffering in quiet desperation.

"I understand your sorrow, Lieutenant Lucianus," the midwife addressed him. "Your wife has travelled south and left you alone with two young children."

"However, your good looks and your good manners have not gone by unnoticed. There are several noble Gargarean ladies who have either been widowed or want to leave their violent husbands. They would gladly offer you any comforts that you please."

"I thank you for your kind consideration, noble Obstetrix," Lucius said. "But I am still a married man and I have not yet given up on reuniting with my lawful wedded wife, whom I still love and cherish. She has left her only daughter in my care and therefore she will eventually return to either collect her daughter and leave, or else stay with me along with both our children. I cannot move until she has reached a decision."

"I respect your decision, Lieutenant Lucianus" the midwife said. "I only wish that your Amazon wife would return the love and respect that you feel for her."

However, regardless of the fact that Lucius had turned down the midwife's offer of romantic scheming, several Gargarean ladies had already their eyes fixed on him. Besides his good looks and his good manners, Lucius also had a little money. And on top of that; should Myria decide to divorce him - which everyone expected her to do, the house would go to him because he was a Gargarean citizen and she was still Amazonian. This made him quite a catch in the eyes of many Gargarean women.

Therefore, Lucius was soon approached by a number of 'helpful' Gargarean ladies; some brought him fresh-baked bread or pastry, some cooked him dinner, some changed the children's underwear with clean linen and fresh dried moss from the woods, while others even had the nerve to enter the bedroom and collect his dirty clothes, which they brought back washed and ironed the following day. Lucius did not know how to react to this strange situation. He knew that it was wrong for him to let strange women invade his home, yet Lucius had been instructed by Myria to let women have their way with him and therefore he could not gather the courage to refuse any of Gargarean women?s generous offers himself.

Instead, he turned to Androlyta who understood his predicament and asked her to step in and chase them away. When Androlyta entered the house, a group Gargarean women was already sitting comfortable round the table in the living room or else moving around the house as if they already were the new mistresses of the house, while the nanny and the wet nurse looked with great dismay at these intruders.

"How dare you lay siege to this place when the lady of the house is away?" Androlyta stepped up and addressed the Gargarean suitors. "How dare you even look at him, when he is still a married man?"

"He is spoken for and his wife will be back soon enough and she will surely strangle you all for prying on her property like Odysseus killed the intruders when he came home and found his home basest with unwelcome wooers."

"Come now, Lady Androlyta, we are not up to any mischief here," the Gargarean suitors parried. "We are only helpful ladies who wish to express our sympathy with a poor misfortunate officer and gentleman."

"Be gone with you," Androlyta barked at them. "You are not helpful; you are not even women, you are nothing but hungry vultures which have spotted a fresh carcass!"

So, with peace and order restored to his house, Lucius returned to the ordinary life of looking after the children and training the troops in the Gargarean Militia. But he no longer rode out with them because he wanted to be home when Myria finally returned.

It was now beginning of the fall, the days were still warm, but mornings and evenings were cold. Each evening after he had put the children to sleep Lucius lit the oil lamps on the porch of their house. There he sat wrapped up in a blanket either by himself or along with friends like Androlyta and Blasius or fellow officers from the Gargarean Militia, while he smoked pipe weed or drank wine with his visitors, eagerly expecting Myria to come home.

Myria slowly travelled up north; she was not in a hurry to get back. When she finally came to the crossroad leading either to the Amazon outpost at the Amazon frontier or to Damasya in the Gargarean nation, she continued up north without even thinking much of it. Only later, she realized that she was drifting back to Lucius.

She didn't actually have to stay with him; she could just as well live with her fellow sisters in arms at the outpost instead and check up on him from time to time. As the commander, she would occupy her own room at the Amazon outpost. But his bed was big, warm and comfortable. And she had grown accustom to the pleasures and comforts at their house. And furthermore, her daughter Callista was still living with her farther and therefor it was only right that she should come and live with her and besides; an outpost was not a proper place to raise a child.

It was early evening and Lucius sat by himself on the porch under a blanket, when he suddenly heard familiar hoof-beat outside on the street. He immediately got up and ran to greet her as Myria came riding through the gate.

"Welcome home, my dear mistress," Lucius said and bowed deeply, then he took the bridle of her horse and got down on all fours to let Myria use his sable back as a stool. However, she smoothly glided down from her horse on the other side. "That game is not funny anymore. Grow up, will you," she said and smiled. "How about some food and drink for a hungry traveller," she said and took her horse to the stable.

His display of humility was always welcome when he performed it publicly - especially in front of her friends. However, when he performed this act privately, it shamelessly reflected his love and devotion for her. And this was nothing but an embarrassment for her.

Inside the house, Myria checked on her daughter. Lucius had made a wooden cradle for their daughter with the help of his fellow Thermodonian carpenter from his old country. Lucius had stuffed it with soft blankets for Callista's comfort, while Gibbus was sleeping in the Callista's old straw basket.

Lucius arranged the dinner table for Myria and politely invited her to sit down and enjoy her evening meal. Lucius also produced a jar of wine and two cups, which he filled, while Myria ate away at the food in front of her. To please Myria, Lucius took a small sip of the wine and then placed the cup in front of her according to the Amazon tradition which Lucius had memorized. Myria smiled at him and drank the wine.

"Can I call you wife again, please?" Lucius asked her. In other words; had Myria divorced him back in Themiskyra or had she not?

"If that makes you feel comfortable, then I don't see why not. However 'Mistress' will be preferred." Myria smiled and drank some more wine. So, Myria had not divorced after all. Greatly relieved by the sound of this, Lucius in turn smiled brightly at her.

"But don't get your hopes too high, I'm only moving back on a temporary basis," Myria continued. But Lucius continued to smile at her, because he had been living with Myria on a 'temporary basis' for several years now and he took no notice of it anymore. There was only one thing on his mind; Myria was home with him and that was all he ever cared about.

One cup of wine led to another and suddenly Myria grinned and smiled at him. She then took his hand and led him to the bedroom for some homecoming sex.

In the bedroom, they quickly undressed and Lucius proceeded to lie down on his back. Myria jumped onto him and sat astride his chest. She initially slapped his face, while Lucius sighed. Then she slapped him even harder, while she spoke to him. "Your transgression has not been forgiven, nor forgotten. I'm only here with you because I'm under orders!"

"Yes, Mistress!" Lucius said indifferently. "Shut up, fool, and put your mouth to something useful," she snapped and presented her breasts to him. He gently kissed her beautiful breasts, then kissed the nibbles. He then in turn sucked on and flicking his tongue over her nibbles which soon grew erect. Myria moaned and moved forward to sit on her rightful place; on his face, like a queen on her throne.

With her pussy firmly buried in his face, she lean back and her bold fingers found his semi-erect member, which she gently began to stroke until it stood full attention. "Oh, my my! If I didn't know you better, Lieutenant Lucius, one would almost think that you have actually missed me," She said sarcastically, knowing very well that Lucius had missed her immensely. She kept stroking it faster and faster, while Lucius eagerly ate her pussy out, slurping all the precious pussy juice which tickled from her sex.

When Lucius was close to cumming, she let go of his cock and grabbed his balls instead, which she squeezed with all her might. Lucius groined loudly from the terrible pain, but he muffled his screams by pressing his face against her pussy. She in turn rubbed her pussy furiously against his face. Her pussy tightened, her thighs trembled and then she came in a massive orgasm. The terrible pain in Lucius' balls prevented any orgasm and the semen slowly oozed from his semi-erect cock. A perfectly ruined orgasm.

"I came and you didn't!" Myria said triumphantly. "I still rule your sexuality. You will not enjoy orgasms when I am here with you."

The sexual domination of Lucius put a smile on her face. She was still in charge of things in the bedroom. Yet, the sexual pain also made Lucius happy; he was once again united with the true mistress of his life and the pain inflected by her only made him feel even more alive.

She scraped the semen from his belly up in the palm of her hand and put the semen drenched hand up to his face. "This filth will never again enter my pussy temple, which has been defiled more than enough in the past, I will not have it anymore!" she concluded and smeared the semen all over his face.

Then she moved forward to shove her pussy back in his face. However, Lucius turned to the side and put his hand up in front of his face, not to protect himself, but to protect his wife from his semen. "Please. It's not safe my dear wife and mistress," he pleaded her. "My face has been smeared with semen, best to let me wash my face before we continue."

"You are ignorant of the human autonomy. Your semen is dead once it is spilled outside the female vagina," Myria said, bet yet she hesitated, his semen had proved to be rather potent in the past, perhaps it was best not to take chances.

"You may be ignorant, but you are also considered and I will not dare challenge Mother Nature. Go wash your dirty face by the well because it is best to play it safe."

Lucius quickly get out of bed and tip-toed down the stairs in order not to wake up the children. He washed his face thoroughly at the well and went inside the house. He moved fast in order to quickly return to Myria. However, when Lucius came back, he found her snoring loudly in deep sleep. He then quietly snugged in beside her and went to sleep.

In the morning, Myria woke up with a smile from the punishment that she administrated to Lucius the night before and went downstairs to sit at the breakfast table that Lucius had already set. Gibbus, the infant boy-child of Lucius smiled at her, but while most people would be happy to see smiling children, it only made her sad; the scenery made Amazonia seem so far, far away. I'm back where I started! Will I ever leave this wretched place? She thought to herself.

As the days went by, Lucius was happy as ever, playing happy family with Myria, his Amazon wife and their two children, but she in turn soon fell into depression. Myria saw no hope for the future; the Queen had not given her any time-limit for her exile and she could easily let Myria stay up here and rot, until she was too old and too rusty to take the battlefield again. Myria's reputation was in taters and she felt alone and isolated, an outcaste and exiled from the Amazon realm.

Myria started to neglect her duties at the Amazon outpost. Often she just stayed away and when she actually arrived at the outpost, she was not really present, but just sat silent and gazed with empty eyes at the girls, who were training for war. When the girls had completed their training, they rode off while happily singing war songs. And Myria could not go with them, but had to stay behind and wallow in personal sorrow and frustrations.

Myria fell into an emotional black pit and was falling apart in front the very eyes of Lucius and he knew that he had to do something in order to cheer her up. Furthermore, the Amazons at the outpost blamed Lucius for Myria's misfortunes. Captain Dementria approached him and complained about the state of Myria.

"Commander Myria did not report in today, yet again! Is she ill or something?" Dementria inquired."She is a bit depressed at the moment," Lucius said. "I can't get through to her anymore; we hardly speak to each other, we don't have sex and she doesn't even beat me up anymore."

"Of course, she would hit you, damn moron. You are holding a child now. No civilized woman would ever dare to beat on a male, when he is holding a child,"Dementria explained. "This would be a grave transgression in the eyes of Mother Nature."

"Oh, I see," Lucius said. "Perhaps she will get better when given some time."

"There is no time, you fool! Our commander is disintegrating and it's all your fault, Lieutenant, you and that damn abomination that you are holding. I only wish that you would let me get rid of it for you,"Dementria said and stared angrily at Gibbus on Lucius' arm.

"Leave my son out of this," Lucius firmly said and hugged Gibbus even tighter in order to protect him from the wrath of the Amazon in front of him. "I am still the spouse of Commander Myria and I know my duty, ma'am. She will be back with you shortly. You have my word!"

Myria was a true warrior at heart and it was obvious that she was depressed because she had gone too long without military action and what was worse; none were in sight in the current situation. Myria needed to feel the seduction of warfare again in order to put a smile back on her face. Lucius could not grant her access back to the battlefields on the Amazonian frontlines, but he could offer her something else instead.

So, the following day, Lucius got up early and thoroughly washed himself. Then he put on a clean tunic and his leather armour of the Gargarean Militia with metal studs, which he had polished the day before. And on top of that, he had asked Androlyta to cut his hair the day before in order to look as presentable as possible in front of Myria.

"My dear Myria," Lucius courteous began. "I know that you are hurt .." But Myria snabbed at him, before he could even finish. "'Myria' is it now? Not 'Mistress' not even 'wife'? You address me as if I was just another cocksucker from your old country! Have you forgotten your place already?"

"Lady Gaia's ass!" Lucius cursed. "I am not talking to you as your spouse, but as your friend and a fellow comrade in arms. I am here to help, plain and simple."

"And what on earth can you possible do for me? Except to fall on your own sword?" she barked at him. By her cruel rejections, Lucius got a sad look on his face and was ready to turn away and leave Myria to wallow in her own frustrations. However, Myria sensed that he might have something useful to say after all and called to him. "Well, don't just stand there and sulk, fool, tell me what you have in mind."

"A group of approximately 30 brigands sneaked across the mountains yesterday," Lucius explained. "We ? that is the Gargarean Militia, are riding out to annihilate them this morning. However, we could use your stout sword and war-axe in the fighting ahead of us. It would do you good to get out in the fresh air and wet your sword with fresh blood."

Knowing that killing ragged brigands would only be a surrogate of the real battles that Myria longed for, Lucius still had reason to believe that it might would be enough to make her smile again - if only he could persuade her to ride out with the Gargarean Militia. At first, Myria of course thought that the whole idea was ridiculous, but Lucius had anticipated that.

"These are not the usual flee-infested peasants that we usually encounter," Lucius informed her. "These are hardened bandits, heavily armed with swords and amour, possible deserters from the west. They have already attacked one farmhouse and killed everyone inside. However, they did not just kill them; the bandits tortured the man of the hound to death by slow strangulation to extract information about a non-existing treasure, which the brigands thought lay buried in the area."

"They are evil people, driven by lust for rape, plunder and blood," Lucius said firmly.

"They took the daughter of the house; a girl not even aged 14 and crucified her by hammering nails through the palms her hands, fixing them between the doorway of their house. And then the bandits savagely raped her while the remainder of the family were forced to watch this gruesome spectacle and the poor girl died during this horrid ordeal," Lucius noticed that the horror story was getting to Myria. She clinched her fist in anger and her eyes came back to life and shone with pure hate. However, none of this was actually true, but that was beside the point.

"Did I mention that they burned her eyes out?" Lucius added and that was the last straw; Myria immediately got out of bed and rushed outside to refresh herself by the well. When finished, Lucius handed her some fresh underwear and her tunic, which he had washed and ironed the night before. Then Lucius gave her a hand with putting on her armour. She grabbed her weapons and went to the stable to fetch her horse. Lucius had already put saddles and bridles on both their horses and the two of them rode off towards the encampment and training ground of the Gargarean Militia.

When they arrived, the two of them rode through the gate together, although Lucius let his Amazon wife and commander ride a little ahead of him only to show duly obedience. Lucius was easily recognizable with his backup weapon; his Amazon sword strapped on his back and his short haircut, which was covered by his helmet at the moment. Myria had never visited a Gargarean encampment before, nor had her predecessor. However, the men knew who she was as soon as she entered the encampment, because Lucius had previously instructed his men look their best as they would soon have a 'special visitor'.

"Attention men!" Lucius shouted to the 20 men he had gathered for this mission.

"The Amazon Commander has most kindly come to ride out with us and make duly inspection on how we are doing." With these words, Lucius got off his horse and kneeled to Myria, who remained mounted on her horse. The men followed suit and also kneeled to Myria.

While Myria briefly inspected the Gargarean militiamen, Lucius approached Achaikos and Damianus, the two Gargarean lads, whom he rode out with the year before on his trip to the Hittite capital Hattusa as protectors of the Princess Parademonia. See Chapter X: 'Protecting the Hittite princess'.

Achaikos was a tall and slender lad at 23. He grew up in mixed marriage between Amazon mother and a Gargarean father. His mother gave birth to him when she was still serving the Amazon army - his parents also produced two girl children before him, which his mother duly put in the care of the Amazon military orphanage, while Achaikos stayed with his father. However, when his mother retired from the Amazon armed forces, she gladly returned up north to marry his father and raise family of her own. There, she gave birth to three more children - two girls and a boy, which were still living at home. In due time, the younger brother would join the Gargarean Militia and his younger sisters would join the Amazon army.

Damianus was smaller but more muscular. He was 22 years old and grew up in a Gargarean family. His parents could not have children of their own, so they adopted unwanted boy children, who were abandoned by Amazons. They had raised seven boys at their humble home, but now they were old and now Damianus stayed at home to look after them.

"Gentlemen," he called to them. "My wife has not too been happy lately because things did not work out so well for her back in Themiskyra. However, if she thoroughly wets her sword and axe with fresh blood today, she might just smile again."

"Therefore, these bandits are sent by the gods. They are my welcome-home gift for my wife and I want you to make sure that she does the lion's share of the killing today. I want you to watch her back while she is on the killing prowl, and don't kill any of the bandits unless you absolutely have to. Let my wife do the killing, that's what she longs for."

"Alright, Ladies, that is; Gents. You know the job, let's round them up and run them through," Myria finished inspecting the lads of the Gargarean Militia and ordered them to move.

On the way to engage the bandits, Lucius ordered his men to ride in different formations in order to show Myria how well-trained the Gargarean Militia had become. However, she in turn was not impressed; style did not count for anything while they were drilled. True warriors could only prove themselves in actual combat.

Soon the scouts of the Gargarean Militia reported the exact location of the bandits who were unaware that they were detected and were moving slowly towards the next farmhouse to plunder and prey on its habitants. However, the Gargarean peasant family had already been evacuated by the Gargarean Militia in order to keep them from harm. Lucius had developed a system, where the Gargarean militiamen who worked as a field-hands and served as scouts as well. As soon as they would encounter a group of bandits, the militiamen had orders to evacuate the family and then lit a fire of wet wood, which would develop a massive stream of black smoke as a warning and a beacon of the bandit's location.

When the bandits where near, Myria and Lucius laid out the battle tactics; they split the Gargarean militiamen into two platoons. Myria would lead the first, which would charge into the bandit's ranks at full force, while Lucius and his platoon should follow behind and attack the brigands in the rear and make sure that no one escaped.

They slowly moved forward towards the bandit's location. When they were in sight, Myria raised her war-axe in the air and commanded her platoon forward. The Gargarean riders fell into formation behind her with Achaikos and Damianus flanking her. They rode down fast from the high grounds, attacking the band of brigands head-on at full speed. When the brigands saw the riders coming, they ran towards them, thinking they were easy prey, which they could kill and plunder.

Myria went for front man, which appeared to be their leader. She swung her axe and with a perfect timed swing, she spilt the brigand's scull in two. Blood, brain-tissue and fragments of the scull splatted on Myria's leg, but she did not even notice, she was already on the next bandit, which she stabbed with her sword.

Myria was now in her true element, while she rampaged through the brigand's ranks. Her superior fighting and riding skills came as a chock to the brigands, who had expected to encounter only defenceless peasants. Myria used her legs and knees to steer her horse around, while she hacked away with her war axe at simultaneously stabbed with her sword. She only held on the rein to stop or slow down her horse.

When the band of brigands realized that they were under attack from a superior fighting force, they scattered and tried to run away from Myria's killing spree. However, their escape was thwarted by Lucius and his platoon. But, they didn't kill them, not even wound them, just bashed them which their shields, herding them up like sheep and drove towards Myria and her platoon - like lambs to the slaughter.

By the end of the day Myria had killed at least 20 bandits - if not more. When the last of the brigands were slain, the men got off their horses and started to collect the corpses of the dead. Like any other civilized nation, the Gargareans would never leave corpses out to rot in the sun and spread disease. But now that the fighting had come to a halt, Myria noticed that something was wrong; the dead was not skilled warriors, just peasants armed with clubs or harvesting tools without any armour or swords.

"What are you doing? We are not finished. Where are the rest of them?" Myria asked, thinking that his was only the vanguard. Where was the main force of the intruding bandits?

"Rest of whom?" Achaikos asked. "We killed them all, that is; you killed them all, ma'am."

"Good kill, Commander," Damianus complimented her. "That was beautiful."

"But we are not done here. We still have enemies to slay!" Myria objected.

"Well, yes. You should speak our husband about this, ma'am. That is your spouse, Lieutenant Lucianus. He will explain everything," Damianus said. Lucius had instructed the men to only refer to him if Myria had any questions or complaints. He knew that was gonna be trouble once the truth was revealed to Myria, but he would just have to stand corrected and face the music.

"Lucius!" Myria barked at him. "What is the meaning of this? This is not what you promised. These are mere stray peasants! Where are the hardened bandits armed with swords, which have terrorized the countryside?"

"They are just figures of my imagination. I lied, I'm sorry, but I did not know what else to do in order to get through to you," Lucius explained himself and humbly bowed to his wife and commander.

"Did you stage all this for me?" Myria asked. "The bandits were real, but they were no match for you, I knew it, and you deserve better, and again I'm sorry," Lucius humbly explained.

"If I owned the world I would gladly provide you with hardened warriors to fight every day, but only the Queen can do that. I'm only your spouse and this is all that I can give you."

At sound of Lucius' coaxing and obsequious words, the adrenalin rush in her body and the sweet smell of blood in the air, Myria felt a strange sweetness between her legs like she had not felt in a long time. She was sexually aroused and suddenly felt very attracted to Lucius.

"Come here, you fool," she said in hoarse and demanding voice. Lucius in turned felt mesmerized by her figure dressed with bloodstains and her eyes which shined with pure lust. He got down on his knees and crawled towards her, while he removed his helmet, unbuckled his swords and shed his armour.

Myria didn't care that others could see her, she just wanted sex here and now. It was, however, the costume for hardened Amazons to have sex at the aftermath of a bloody battle. She quickly lifted up her tunic and removed her underwear. Then standing on one foot, she took Lucius, who was still down on his knees by the hair and gently but firmly guided his mouth to her pussy, then swung her leg over his neck to lock his head against her sex. She leaned against her horse, still standing on one foot while she enjoyed his oral servitude and held onto the horse's neck with the hand in order to keep balance.

"Lieutenant Lucianus, you surely know the way to a woman's heart," Myria said in a sweet and seductive voice while Lucius' skilled tongue serviced her. Or the way to her pussy, anyway, she added to herself.

Achaikos and Damianus came riding up to inform them that the men had finished gathering the dead bodies. However, they froze when they saw what Myria and Lucius were doing. Therefore, they discreet put their horses in front of the loving couple in order to give them some privacy.

"The Commander and her Lieutenant are busy evaluating the battle and must not be disturbed," the two Gargarean lads inform the rest of the men, when they asked why the commanding officers had still not given the order to burn the corpses of the deceased brigands. However, Achaikos and Damianus told the other Gargareans to proceed as planned and not disturb the commanding officers with menial tasks.

On the way home, Myria rode alongside Lucius while they discussed the events of the day. "You have trained your boys well, how many warriors do you have at your command by now?" Myria asked.

Although, Lucius officially was only one lieutenant among many and did not even have the rank of captain in the Gargarean Militia, Myria could tell by simple observation, that he was acting as their leader and de-facto commander. The fact that he was married to an Amazon commander had already given him a tremendous amount of prestige and respect among his men. This respect had only been increased further by the fact that he now had claimed a son by Myria - and was still married to her!

"Well, the standing militia counts 600 warriors because we only have weapons and armour for this amount of men," Lucius said. "But we can muster 1500 trained men by now if they Queen should rally us." Under his astute leadership the Gargarean militia had grown into a modern fighting force. The backbone of the militia consisted of sons of Amazons who were perfect fighters. However, their weaponry and equipment were old and needed to be replaced on order for the militia to function at its best.

"I'm thinking of buying some new equipment for the militia," Lucius said and explained that the Gargarean Militia did not have any funding of their own.

Myria froze when he revealed his plans to her. "You will do no such thing because that will lead you straight to your own painful death! I'm not supposed to tell you of this, but I have had a wonderful day and therefore I tell you the truth."

Then Myria explained that the Amazon nation never wanted an efficient male army to guard the north; the steep mountains at the sea-line prevented any invasion from the sea and the sharp rocks of the mountains prevented any full scale invasion across the land. Only small groups of brigands could sneak across the mountains on foot. The Amazons only put up with the Gargareans as long as they had use for them as semen donors. But the Amazons never had any respect for them and they would never tolerate a well-trained and well-equipment male army in their backyard garden. So if it became public knowledge that Lucius now had a well-trained army under his command and that he on top of that supplied his warriors with new weaponry out of his own pocket, he would surely be named a traitor and an infiltrator. He would promptly be crucified and Myria would not be able to help him.

They will properly crucify me alongside you, because they think that I put you up to it. Myria thought to herself. They must think that I have fallen under your spell since I let you claim a son by me. And that I'm now planning to muscle my way back to Amazonia with you and the Gargarean Militia at my disposal.

"The Queen smiles at you because she finds your funny little ways amusing, but she does not trust you," Myria explained. " She is a fickle beast and she may just as easily turn on you. She hides her suspicion towards you behind a fake smile. I may not smile at you that often, but I speak the truth. And although, you have transgressed against me and severely hurt my pride, I shall forgive you because I have had such a wonderful day."

"But don't ever lie to me again!" she barked at him. "A military commander must always make decisions based on facts, not fiction."

"Point taken, my wife and mistress, it won't happen again, ever."

Myria realized that when Queen Hentiope had married her to Lucius, she didn't just force an unwanted spouse on her, the Queen did in fact put a Damocles' sword right above Myria's head; should Lucius falter, she would fall!

I'm caught between a rock and a hard place; if you misbehave, they will take it out on me. And if I let you do your job and let you train your new troops and raise an army, they will still come down hard on me for letting you turn the feeble militia into a modern fightinh force in the backyard of the Amazon realm. I'll have to watch my step from now on.

"But I'll be watching yours as well," she said out loud to Lucius. "Yes, Mistress," Lucius answered humbly without having any clue on what Myria was on about.

Yeah, yeah, 'yes, mistress' is all you can say, little fool. You have no idea what kind of perils that you have been in and what kind of perils that you put others in. To you, life is just an adventure, but for the like of us, life is a day-to-day struggle>.

In Myria's eyes, Lucius had always had an easy life; everything that he wanted was handed to him on a silver-plate; he was given a command-post in his old country and as soon as he entered the Amazon realm, the Queen gave him an officer's rank in the Gargarean Militia - and Myria's hand in marriage as well. And on top of that; he had recently claimed a son by her. Myria in turn had suffered several setbacks, although she always struggled hard and always did her best to improve her position.

However, Myria did not let these menial things get to her anymore. She got the old glint in her eye back; she shaped up and returned to her chores at the Amazon outpost. And as soon as Gibbus was old enough to crawl around on the floor and not sit on his fathe'?s arm permanently, Myria started to beat Lucius up again, which again put a smile on her face.

Lucius in turn loaded the broken and obsolete weapons, shields and armour from the Gargarean Militia on ox-driven carts and drove them to the Amazon outpost, where Myria replenished them with new and upgraded weaponry and armour. This way Lucius' army of militia men could grow in numbers of trained warriors, but number of men at arms would always be controlled by Myria. And the Gargarean militia would therefore not represent any real threat to the Amazon nation. On top of that, Myria ordered the weavers and the tailors at her outpost to produce some new tunics for the Gargarean militia. Myria thought that boy's uniforms looked a bit old and moulded. And she wanted them to look presentable, when she rode out with them again.

In fact, whenever she felt her frustrations building up, she always rode out with Lucius and his men and hunted down outlaws and brigands in order to quench her thirst for bloodshed. Myria and Lucius would always have sex when the battles against the intruding bandits were over. Myria's orgasm always intensified when she had recently shed blood and Lucius in turn always gladly gave her oral servitude.

Myria duly wrote a report to Queen Hentiope about her inspection of the Gargarean Militia. She stated that the militia was well capable of doing their job; keeping the Gargarean countryside safe from intruding bandits and brigands. The men were all well-trained and well-disciplined, thanks Lucius' new training and drilling methods. However, she did not mention that the amount of trained men continued to grow rapidly because this would cause unnecessary concern at the Amazon court.

While Myria and Lucius had renewed their old comradeship and seemed to get along again splendidly, Myria also frequently went down south to spend Tormentress Eudoxia so that the two of them would not grow apart. And she and Gemmalina in turn also gladly came up north to visit Myria and Lucius.

However, one thing did change; from then on, Myria left Lucius in charge of taken care of both children. Whenever she heard any children sobbing from the adjacent room during the night, she japed her elbow hard into his side. "Your brat is crying," she complained. "Go forth and silence him."

Lucius would then stumble out of bed and go the children's room, only to find that it was Callista, who was crying in her sleep. Lucius always took her in his arms and went outside where he sat on the porch, rocking her gently in his arms while humming folk songs of his old country. This created a strong bond between father and daughter. And this bond would come back to haunt Myria several years later.

To be continued....

The tale of Myria and Lucius will continue in the next chapter where Myria is finally called back to the wars. However, she is wounded in her first battle and returns home to Lucius with her arm in a sling.

The storyline is set for many more chapters, however comments, suggestions or story ideas are welcome, just email the author at: jallanj@yahoo.dk

The whole story on the Amazons - So far: