Amazon Maidens 3: History Lesson
By Littlesilverstar, silverstar222b@yahoo.com
Princess Katarina learns how her ancestor dealt with the Amazons


Raindrops pelted Princess Katarinas tent in the dark night. Unable to sleep,
she sat up in her lightweight but comfortable travel bed as the thunder boomed
again. How was she going to defeat these Amazons?

Suddenly, she heard a commotion outside. No one is to disturb the Princess
while she is sleeping, came the voice of one of the guards. I dont care if you
outrank me. I wouldnt care even if you were a four-star general. I have my
orders from the Princess herself.

Katarina opened the flap of her small tent. Its okay, soldier. I wasnt
sleeping anyway. She turned her gaze to the visitor, recognizing the military
historian. Major. Do you have something for me?

Yes, milady, said the major. He held up a journal, bound in leather. I think
youll find this very interesting.

Come into the tent. Lets keep that thing out of the rain and see what weve got
here. Katarinas dark brown eyes widened with fascination as she opened the
journal. Why, its a war diary from my ancestor, the great warrior queen,
Roslyn the First! Where did you find this?

I was digging around in the basement archives of the library in the Colonial
Capital. As soon as I found it, I rode out here as fast as I could. I knew
youd want to see it.

Indeed I do. This should prove to be very valuable. Thank you, Major. As the
officer bowed and exited the tent, Katarina opened the journal and turned to
the first page&

Princess Roslyn was the oldest child and only daughter of King Frederick III.
She had two younger brothers, twins, named Albert and Antonius. Tweedledee and
Tweedledum, as many, including herself, called them behind their backs. Both
were incompetent, dim-witted louts.

Because sons came before daughters, regardless of age, in the line of
succession, Roslyn was only third in line for the throne. And because her
brothers were twins, they were constantly competing with each other to impress
their father enough to get officially picked to be his heir. This competition
led to both brothers taking many foolish risks in battle and needlessly
sacrificing the lives of many of their men.

When a small outpost near the southern border of the empire had been overrun
and its garrison of a hundred men massacred by unknown attackers, Antonius had
eagerly volunteered to lead an expedition to find and punish the mysterious
assailants. Albert, who was currently away on an expedition to the north,
would be so jealous when Antonius returned with a triumph to celebrate his
victory, the arrogant prince thought. The king accepted his sons offer and
provided him with a massive army.

Roslyn sighed as she was forced to stay home once again. Although she was an
expert archer and swordswoman, and had received the same education at the
military academy that her brothers had, she had never been granted the honor
of leading military expeditions to the fringes of the Empire. All of her
combat knowledge had only been put to use a few times in small skirmishes with
bandits and raiders. She longed for the chance to prove herself in a real
battle. But her father always said that her military education was for
emergencies only.

Prince Antonius rode out of the Imperial capital at the head of a huge army,
cockily proclaiming that if there were any survivors from the enemy force
after he was through with them, he would bring them back to the capital in
cages like zoo animals. He had 15,000 heavy infantry armed with spears and
large shields, plus 3000 archers armed with modern crossbows. But the pride of
the army was the heavy cavalry, a force of 2000 knights. These riders were all
noblemen who were constanly seeking more battles to gain more riches and
glory.

The massive force moved southward, sweating in their armor under the hot sun.
They moved slowly, hampered by the Princes insistence on taking many luxuries
with him. Finally, after several weeks, they reached the outpost where the
massacre had occurred. After the Princes servants had set up his large,
luxurious tent and all his furniture, Antonius and his staff met with the
commanding officer of the force that had discovered the massacre to make their
battle plan.

The officer, a colonel, bowed to the Prince and his six staff officers, all
generals. My Lords. I fear we are dealing with a much more serious situation
than we thought. We have examined the corpses of the men that were
slaughtered. About half of them were shot with arrows. Every single shot was
either straight to the heart or right between the eyes. Ive never seen
marksmanship like that. The other men were either impaled with spears, again
always straight through the heart, or had their skulls split open with axes,
or were chopped into many pieces with swords.

The staff officers, all of whom were old, overweight aristocrats, gulped in
fear. Prince Antonius, however, still had a cocky, arrogant look on his face
as the colonel continued. One man was still alive when we got there. He had
been expertly stabbed in a way that would keep him alive for a while, but
ensure that he would die eventually. He was insane with terror when we found
him. The only thing he could say before he expired was, Theyre girls. An army
of girls. Incredibly sexy girls who can outfight any man. Those girls are
demonesses from hell& Then he died.

The other men in the tent looked at one another doubtfully. Finally, the
Prince banged his fist on the fancy, heavy oak table. Preposterous! The idea
that one hundred men of the finest Empire the world has ever seen could be
massacred by a band of GIRLS is utterly ridiculous. You yourself said that
this man was insane with terror. His information must be inaccurate. Well find
out who really did this and punish them.

As you wish, milords, said the colonel, aware of what fools these men were but
knowing he had to obey orders. My scouts have followed the assassins tracks
into the desert. Far to the south, beyond where any of our explorers have ever
gone, they report that the inhospitable desert turns into fertile land once
again. There lies the kingdom of the enemy. If we follow the river, we can be
there in three weeks.

Three weeks? We would waste so much time, following that meandering river. If
we march straight south, we can be in the enemys territory in ten days. Well
just fill our water kegs here, said Antonius.

My lord, I would advise having a continuous supply of water handy. You never
know what might happen. Also, if we follow the river we can use it to protect
one of our flanks.

Thats enough, Colonel. I am in command here, and what I say goes. We march
straight south through the desert. Tell the men to get busy filling those
water kegs. We leave tomorrow at first light.

Yes, my lord. The colonel sighed, hoping that the princes arrogance wouldnt
lead the army to doom.

The attacks began on the third day. One moment, the massive column of soldiers
was marching along in complete peace. The next, fifteen men dropped dead,
arrows sticking out of their throats, chests, or heads.

The others looked around in shock. There was nothing but a faint cloud of dust
on the horizon. Some of the crossbowmen fired bolts uselessly into the
distance, wasting precious ammunition. A squadron of knights rode off to
investigate, returning to report only that the enemy consisted of light
horsemen&or horsewomen & who could easily outride them.

From that point on, the attacks continued, the only change being that they
grew in size and frequency. The second strike came from the other side. This
time, twenty-five men were shot dead with perfectly aimed arrows. After
surveying the corpses with a curse, the Prince ordered the crossbowmen to
prepare for an archery duel.

They didnt have to wait long. An hour later came the third raid, from both
sides this time. The crossbowmen began shooting back, but there was nothing to
shoot at but clouds of dust. The mysterious attackers would ride into range,
expertly fire their bows just as they were turning, and vanish before the
crossbowmen could acquire their targets.

I thought our bows had a longer range than any other in the world, grumbled
one soldier as he reloaded his weapon.

Maybe they do, but those riders are so fast they can dart in and out of range
before we can hit&ugh! The man who responded was shot in the chest as he was
speaking. The arrow penetrated his armor and drove straight into his heart. He
was dead before he hit the ground. When the attack was over, forty more male
soldiers were dead. The crossbowmen had fired many bolts and hadnt been able
to hit a thing.

Prince Antonius ordered a dozen of his servants to go out and retrieve the
bolts. A few minutes later, a solitary servant returned, empty-handed. Im
sorry, my lord, he reported. They hit us while we were trying to collect them.
We had to flee. Im the only survivor.

Not for long, coward! snarled the Prince, drawing his sword and decapitating
the servant. It was the only kill any of the male soldiers made that day.

The mood when the army made camp for the night was one of fear and dread.
Things only got worse the next morning, when it was discovered that a hundred
men had had their throats slit in the darkness by mysterious attackers who had
snuck in and out right under the noses of the sentries. The killing wasnt over
yet, however, because Antonius ordered that the surviving sentries, a total of
200 men, all be executed for their failure. The executioners, though reluctant
to kill their own men, were worried that they would become the next targets if
they refused to obey their princes orders. After the sentries had been
decapitated and their heads placed on pikes, per Antonius wishes, the army set
off again.

It wasnt long before the first attack of the day came, arrows whizzing through
the air and embedding themselves in male flesh. This time, Prince Antonius
ordered the knights to respond in force, two columns of a hundred riders each.
Two hundred proud, heavily armored noblemen rode out into the desert. None of
them ever returned. In addition, sixty more men were shot dead in the main
column. The vast army still hadnt managed to kill a single enemy. The Prince
screamed and stamped his feet, having a tantrum like a little baby.

When the next ambush came, it was deja vu for the men&or so they thought.
Enemy arrows came flying in, the crossbowmen shot back uselessly, and then, in
a flash, it was over. How many hit? came the call.

There were murmurs and whispers, then the response. Looks like none, sir.

None? But&

Suddenly, a soldier pointed to a water keg, pierced with an arrow. The
powerful shot had cracked the wooden barrel and all the water was long gone
and rapidly sinking into the desert sand. The men looked around in panic.
Every other keg was in the same condition.

NOOOOOOO! roared the Prince. COWARDS! Come out and fight me like a man!

I dont think they are men, sir, said one of his staff officers, holding one of
the Empires new inventions, a spyglass. The figures on the horses looked like
girls to me.

Girls?! Antonius sputtered. How could mere girls&ugghhh&

The colonel who had found the men massacred at the outpost rode up. Beg
pardon, sirs, but we should focus on the big issue right now. Our water
supply.

The Prince was still in tantrum mode. Well charge right at them, slaughter
them, and drink their blood!

My lord, please. Were six days from enemy territory and the only water we have
left is the tiny amount in our canteens. Wed never make it. Were four days
march from our territory, and few if any can survive four days in the desert
without water. Our only option is to head for the river. We can get there in
two days, rest and recover, then follow the river to enemy territory and make
our attack.

The Prince, by now a broken man, wanted to scream at his subordinate and tell
him off, but even he knew that the colonel was right. Fine. Make it so, he
sighed.

But they never made it. As the army changed course and made for the river,
horsewomen began following them, staying just outside of crossbow range. The
men gulped the last of their water in their canteens and desperately but
uselessly quickened their pace. The number of hoofbeats behind them increased.

Why arent they attacking? wondered a young junior officer.

They know the river is our only option. They know exactly where were going.
They can wait for the right moment, his superior responded. Everyone within
earshot gulped upon hearing that.

It was early afternoon when the final attack came. One second, there was
uneasy silence. The next, there came a spine-chilling, high-pitched,
distinctively female warrior cry in the distance. Then came the arrows, this
time over a thousand of them fired at once, all aimed at the crossbowmen.
Lightly armored and with no shields, they stood no chance. Over a quarter of
the crossbowmen were killed by the first enemy volley. Many others were
wounded, in agony from hits to the leg, arm, stomach, or groin, and unable to
fight back. Those who could shoot back fired their bolts ineffectively at the
distant female figures darting back and forth on their ponies. Then it was
time to begin the agonizingly slow process of reloading.

The Empires warfare doctrine emphasized heavy infantry, heavy cavalry, and
responses designed to counter enemies who emphasized the same. The archers
were currently armed with the Mark VI model crossbows, which, although very
powerful and capable of piercing the heavy plate armor worn by knights, were
also very slow to fire, taking close to thirty seconds to reload. Though the
Mark VII crossbow, which could fire twice as fast while being only slightly
less powerful, was available, Prince Antonius had elected to stick with the
Mark VIs under the mantra of more power.

The Amazon horse archers, on the other hand, used compact but powerful bows
that were small enough for mounted troops to use, powerful enough to penetrate
almost any armor, and capable of rapid fire. Trained in markswomanship from
the day she was old enough to ride and hold a bow, a girl-archer could defeat
even the most heavily armored opponent by aiming for the weak points in his
armor, then finishing him off with her hand-to-hand combat weapons, generally
axes or short swords, if necessary.

Each female horse archer could fire a dozen arrows per minute, and three more
devastating volleys finished off the rest of the crossbowmen before they could
finish reloading. In less than twenty seconds 3000 of the Empires
best-trained, well-equipped male bowmen lay dead or dying on the hot desert
sand, slaughtered by girls, most of whom had not yet seen twenty winters.

The beautiful Amazon princess, just eighteen years old, in command of this
force, 1200 horse archers and 800 heavy cavalry, tiny compared to the vast
Imperial army, laughed at the carnage her girls had just inflicted. She had
been sent out with her little force with orders from her Queen to harass,
delay, and weaken the enemy. But after seeing the vulnerability of these males
and the incompetence and arrogance of their commander, she had decided to
launch a full-scale attack to annihilate them.

With a coy giggle, she ordered her archers to fire into the main body of enemy
infantry. A volley of arrows came flying, dropping several hundred men to the
dirt. Infantry into turtle formation! ordered the Prince. Knights, charge
those bitches and run them through! The Imperial infantry moved into their
turtle formation, shields covering all sides and the tops of their heads.
Hundreds more men died before the maneuver could be completed, but the
remainder now seemed relatively safe, though occasional cries of pain came
from men hit in an exposed arm here or an exposed leg there.

Prince Antonius, cowering in the center of the formation along with his six
staff officers, finally thought he had things under control. His knights,
heavily armored and armed with lances, would ride right into the lightly
armored horsewomen and end this humiliating barrage of arrows striking the
shields like rain.

But it was not to be. As the 1800 knights charged the female horse archers,
they turned their attention to the new attackers. Though the arrows could not
penetrate the thick chest plating the men wore, the Amazons, with their expert
markswomanship, fired into the joints and other weak points of the suits of
armor, piercing knights in their armpits, hips, and groins. Men fell off their
horses with cries of agony, stopping the momentum of the charge. Some girls
were such good shots that they could hit their opponents in the eye-slits of
their face masks, killing them instantly.

Rally to me! cried a high-ranking nobleman, gathering the unwounded riders and
preparing another charge. AAAAHHHHHHHH!

Suddenly, hoofbeats thundered from the left. The 800 Amazon heavy cavalry were
charging them, lances lowered, from the males vulnerable side. The Imperials
were unable to turn in time to counter this new threat and were brutally
ridden into, female lances utterly impaling and penetrating them. The Amazons
then rode into or onto the wounded knights on the ground, simply trampling
them to death, laughing as their victims begged for mercy. Knights were used
to being captured and ransomed in battle instead of being killed, but the
Amazons were not interested in gold. They were interested in slaughter.

One of the infantrymen on the edge of the turtle formation thought he heard
hoofbeats. He peeked out from behind his shield, thinking the allied knights
were returning after a job well done. The rain of arrows had stopped, after
all. But instead, the last thing he saw before he died was a beautiful
brown-skinned woman leading several hundred others in a heavy cavalry charge.
A second later, the girls lance popped his skull open like a smashed
watermelon.

The turtle formation, effective against enemy archers, left the men using it
vulnerable to heavy cavalry attacks. With brutal efficiency, the 800 female
riders lanced, sliced, axed, decapitated, and trampled everything in their
path, riding right through the formation and dividing it in two. Over two
thousand men were killed.

SHIT! Prepare to receive cavalry charge! shouted the Prince as the Amazons
turned around and re-formed their line. The men formed up as well, spears
ready to impale any horse that dared charge into them. But instead, the horse
archers began firing again, dropping hundreds more men dead as arrows rained
down from above onto their now exposed skulls.

FUCK! What can we do?! moaned one of the staff officers. Those cunts have an
answer for everything!

Hold! roared the Prince. Arrows run out! They cant keep shooting at us
forever!

But just then, a sqaudron of girls rode up to the horse archers. They began
handing them packages from their heavily laden animals. Though it was too far
to see, the men knew what was in them. Arrows. Thousands and thousands more
arrows.

As the incessant rain of lethal projectiles continued, the survivors, without
waiting for orders, re-formed the turtle. And sure enough, the Amazon heavy
cavalry came crashing into them again, slaughtering thousands more men.

The sun sank lower in the western sky. The Imperial soldiers who were still
alive knew that it was the last time they would ever see it. Command broke
down completely, with the Prince and his generals simply crying and
whimpering, unable to issue any orders. The slaughter was methodical and
efficient, alternating between arrows and lances. Hour after hour passed and
the killing went on. Finally, the sun reached the horizon and turned blood
red, matching the new color of the desert sand.

* * *

The smart colonel, the only man of high rank in this force who had any sense,
lay in the middle of a pile of male corpses, an arrow sticking out from his
chest. He opened his eyes and looked around. It was dark now. In the distance,
he could see the torches of the Amazons and hear the pleas for mercy from
wounded men as the girls finished them off, but around him, all was quiet.
Everyone else was dead. Some of the soldiers had been finished execution style
with arrows right between the eyes or good old-fashioned decapiations. He
removed the arrow that he had broken and attached to himself with a wad of
chewing gum, another of the Empires recent inventions, to make it look like he
had already been shot. Then he began crawling away.

* * *

The Imperial scout peered through his spyglass again, wanting to confirm the
strange sight. A man was floating down the river towards him on a piece of
wood. Bruised, battered, and sunburned, he wore the tattered remnants of an
Imperial uniform. Colonel? Is that you? asked the stunned scout as he
recognized the officer.

Yes. It is I. Alive, though not by much, said the colonel as he beached
himself on shore. Gather the men. I have urgent news about the&lets say the
Amazons.

* * *

Princess Roslyn and her father, King Frederick III, were having dinner in the
palace dining room when the door suddenly burst open and a messenger entered.
The King raised an eyebrow. Im going to assume this is important from the
manner of your entrance.

Yes, my lord. Im sorry. But it is important. He handed Frederick a letter. The
king paled as he read it, dropping the turkey leg he had been eating.

Roslyn, come with me. Im calling a council of war. Right now.

* * *

I cannot believe it. Twenty thousand of His Majestys finest soldiers,
completely and utterly annihilated by a force but one-tenth of its size? said
a duke.

Believe it, sir. I was there, and Im the only survivor, said the colonel who
had made it through so much.

The size of the enemy force is hard enough to believe, but an army of mere
GIRLS?! a fat earl grumbled. Preposterous!

Roslyn felt her blood becoming hot. Perhaps you would like to see a
demonstration of what a girl can do in combat.

As the earl opened his mouth to make an angry retort, King Frederick spoke up.
Enough! he shouted. I called this council to plan a way to defeat the enemy,
not engage in fighting amongst ourselves. Earl, you will show respect to my
daughter. Roslyn, you will control your temper. Now, Colonel, do you think
these&Amazons will attempt a full-scale invasion of our territory?

They already attacked one of our outposts without provocation and after
exterminating a huge army of ours so easily, I fear it is very likely that
they will feel arrogant and aggressive enough to do it, my lord.

Then we must raise what forces we can as fast as possible. Roslyn, you will be
in command.

Roslyn felt both excitment and apprehension. It was what she had always wanted
but against such an unknown and lethal opponent? She truly would be put to the
test.

* * *

Princess Roslyn sat on her horse, reviewing her army as it prepared to march
out of the Imperial capital. This time, there were no shouts of jubilation or
dreams of glory, just a cold sense of duty.

The army was much smaller this time there just werent enough men who could be
pulled off of other duties to create a force as massive as the last one. The
impact of Antonius defeat had been devastating one-sixth of the Empires
military had been wiped out in a single battle. Roslyn had 6000 heavy infantry
along with 1500 crossbowmen, armed with the new, faster firing Mark VII bows
at her insistence. Only a few knights had the courage to go up against an
enemy that preferred extermination to ransoming, and because of the power of
the nobility, the king couldnt force them to go. Just as well, thought the
princess. She had no use for cowards in her army. The bulk of the cavalry
would be provided by 1500 light horsemen, drawn from the middle-class citizens
of the Empire, and armed with a variety of swords, spears, axes, and bows.

Many of the male nobles had grumbled at the idea of a woman leading an army
into battle, but none of them had the balls to do it themselves after the
Princes epic fail. And her other brother, Albert, was still off in the north,
thank the gods. She knew that he was as dumb as his twin, and only would have
led a second army to its doom.

They moved much faster than the first force had, Roslyn knowing well just how
quickly she could march her men without tiring them too much. It also helped
that she was a low-maintenance young woman who, although she enjoyed the
luxuries at the palace, was perfectly capable of traveling light in the field.

The sun rose on the Imperial camp as the army, now at the southern border of
the Empire, prepared to move out to meet its destiny. As the men formed up,
the Princess looked into their frightened eyes and began a quick, impromptu
speech.

Soldiers of the Empire! For a thousand years we have been the most powerful
force on this continent. Through the strength of our soldiers and the
innovations of our scientists we have defeated all those who sought to destroy
us. Will that streak be broken on your watch?

NO! came the answering roar of thousands of voices.

Roslyn raised her tanned and toned right arm, decorated with many bracelets.
She loved dressing feminine, and since she had to dress like a man for battle,
the bracelets at least added some femininity to her outfit. Then let us
advance! Now, this kind of goes without saying, but we follow the river this
time.

As the men laughed, she pointed to the colonel who had survived the massacre,
who was riding next to her. If anything should happen to me, you are to listen
to this man and do what he advises, even if you outrank him. Is that clear?
She looked at her generals in turn, receiving an affirmative salute from each.
She nodded and smiled.

A band of scouts rode up. Their leader approached her, bowing. Any sign of
them? she asked.

None, milady. Its as if theyve vanished into thin air.

This time, the attacks began on the fourth day. A humming sound broke the
monotony and stillness of the desert heat. A second later, a dozen men dropped
dead with arrows in their chests or faces.

Even as the bodies were still falling, Roslyn was shouting orders. Cavalry,
split up and pursue! Try to cut them off! Crossbowmen, be ready to fire, but
DO NOT shoot without a confirmed target!

The army waited, tense, as the riders disappeared into the distance. Finally,
the sound of hoofbeats returned. The crossbowmen readied their weapons, but
thanks to the princess instructions refrained from being trigger-happy. It was
a good thing, as the riders were their own men.

Report, Captain, said Roslyn as the soldiers rode up to her.

We split up and managed to cut four enemies off and trap them between two of
our forces, Princess. She nodded. Light cavalry was needed to catch other
light cavalry. Her dim-witted brother had brought no light horsemen, only
heavily armored knights who had been far too slow to catch the Amazon horse
archers.

The captain continued, They fought to the death, killed five of my men and
wounded four more, but we finished them off. And we acquired four of these. He
held up a bow.

Roslyn took the weapon and examined it with fascination. It was incredibly
light, lighter than the small bows her own cavalry used. Yet it could fire
from such a long range, much further than the Imperial cavalry bows and almost
as far as the much heavier, slower firing crossbows, which were too big for
mounted troops to use.

Put two of them in the wagons, one in the front of the column and one in the
rear. At least one must make it back to the Empire for our innovators to
reverse engineer and eventually mass produce. Give the other two to your two
best marksmen.

Yes, milady.

And for the record, just so everyone can hear and all these doubts can be put
to rest once and for all. They WERE girls, correct?

Yes. Four young female warriors. Ive never seen women fight that well. Except
you, Princess.

She giggled. Thank you. Now lets move on. Everybody keep a sharp eye out.

The next time, the Amazons attempted an attack from across the river.
Horsewomen fired a volley of arrows, but they fell short into the water.
Crossbowmen ready! Pick your targets! ordered Roslyn as the female riders
urged their horses into the river, trying to get closer.

A group of crossbowmen fired their bolts. Most of them missed, as the weapons
were at the limit of their range, but two women fell off their horses and into
the water. The others quickly retreated.

A loud cheer rose from the men. Victory! We drove them off! For glory! For the
King! For&

Uh&guys? said Roslyn. Everyone stopped shouting and looked at her.

Perspective, gentlemen. Keep it in perspective. Yes, we drove them off, but we
only killed two of them. This cant even be called a skirmish, much less a
battle. Good job, but lets keep going, you know?

The men nodded. In truth, Roslyn wanted to jump up and down and join in the
celebration, but she knew the dangers that overconfidence would bring. Still,
it was an important victory. There were no more attacks from across the river.

The hit-and-run ambushes continued from the other side, but with cavalry
patrols able to concentrate on guarding one flank, their effectiveness was
limited. Ten more Imperial soldiers were shot dead, but seven Amazons died as
well, and the cavalrymen managed to capture three more Amazon bows. When they
made camp for the night, the mood was decidedly different than it had been
when they had set out. There was still a lot of apprehension, but the fact
that they had been able to hold their own gave the soldiers a much needed
morale boost.

As she watched the sun sink beneath the western horizon, Princess Roslyn
ordered the sentries on double duty. Theyre going to try something before the
sun comes up, mark my words.

In her small but comfortable tent, the princess read a book by lamplight until
she drifted off to sleep.

She awoke with a start some hours later. Popping open the tent flap, she
judged it was around midnight from the position of the stars. The moon was
full, giving a ghostly illumination to the vast desert. Everything was
peaceful. Too peaceful. She had a gut feeling that something was about to
happen.

She began checking on the sentries, who all reported the same thing. Nothing.
With the moon this bright, wed see them coming a mile away, said one soldier.

Roslyn nodded. There was truth to that. She turned her gaze to the river&

The river! She tapped the man who had spoken on the shoulder. Every second man
is to follow me! she whispered. If they come, theyll be swimming the river. We
need to reinforce that side. She darted into a supply tent, grabbed a Mark VII
crossbow and a quiver of bolts, and tucked a small axe into her belt. Her
sword was sheathed on her hip. Now lets go, she whispered, loading a bolt as
she spoke.

But before she and the reinforcements were halfway across the camp, she saw
female heads rise like spectres from the surface of the water. As if it were a
nightmare, muscular female arms drew back the strings on bows. The sound of
expertly aimed arrows driving into their male targets, silently slaying an
entire row of sentries on the river side of camp, reminded her that this
nightmare was all too real.

ALARM! ALARM! WERE UNDER ATTACK! she screamed. Even as she shouted, she fired,
her crossbow bolt nailing an Amazon right between the eyes.

Bells clanged and war horns blew as soldiers raced into action. The sentries
she had alerted managed to shoot down several Amazons with their crossbows,
but then the others were slashing into tents with their swords, intermingling
with the men and making it too dangerous for the sentries to fire without
hitting their own side.

Some men woke up at the alarm, only to be met with a blade straight through
the heart at the hands of a brown-skinned woman. Others stumbled sleepily out
of their tents, right in front of waiting Amazons who shot them down or simply
decapitated them.

Keep the other sides manned! They might have forces waiting while were
distracted! Roslyn shouted as she finished reloading her crossbow. She popped
out from behind the boulder she had used as cover and came almost face-to-face
with a bow-wielding Amazon. The Princess was faster and shot her opponent
straight through the heart. Roslyn then drew her sword in her right hand and
her axe in her left. As she stepped around the corner of a tent, two enemies
charged her. She brained one with her axe and decapitated the other with her
sword.

Screams came from a large tent. Leaping inside, she saw a trail of bloody male
corpses. Near the back, two Amazon girls, each with a long dagger in each
hand, were slowly pushing back the survivors, who couldnt match the female
warriors speed and skill.

She hurled her axe and was rewarded with a satisfying THWACK as the weapon
buried itself in the back of one of the girls skulls. The other Amazon
whirled, throwing one of her daggers as she turned. Roslyn just managed to
block it with her sword.

The Amazon let out a shrill scream and tumbled towards her with a roundoff
followed by a series of ultra-fast one-handed back handsprings. Roslyn stepped
to the side and attacked with her sword, but the Amazon dodged with a full
twisting layout and landed perfectly on her feet. With a superhumanly fast
kick to Roslyns arm that sent her sword flying, the Princess suddenly found
herself unarmed.

The Amazon drove her dagger straight at Roslyns throat. She barely managed to
block it, receiving a cut on her right forearm. Her opponent drew the dagger
back again, but the Princess suddenly kicked her in the face, breaking her jaw
and stunning her. Roslyn then cartwheel kicked her, knocking her down. She
stomped down hard on the Amazons throat with her military boot, crushing her
enemys windpipe.

Roslyn let out a sigh of relief. You guys okay? she called out to the men in
the back of the tent.

Yes, milady. Thank you for saving us. How about you? Youre hurt.

She touched the wound. Its just a scratch. Now come on and join the fight.

As she led the men outside, a shrill whistle echoed through the night. The
surviving Amazons began backflipping away like pro gymnasts, with incredible
grace, elegance, and speed. The men fired their crossbows at them, but thanks
to their blazing fast tumbling most of the shots missed. In less than a minute
all was quiet again.

I have the count, an officer reported, when all the bodies had been lined up.
77 of our men are dead, and there are 24 dead Amazons. We also have a few
dozen men wounded too badly to fight who will have to be transported in the
wagons.

Roslyn cursed. I should have known better. I should have had the river side
guarded more heavily from the start.

Dont blame yourself, milady, said the officer. Without your warning, hundreds
of men would have died.

The Princess nodded, but she knew she would have to take responsibility for
this one. She hadnt ordered the camp guarded as well as it should have been.
But the lessons she learned that night would go on to serve her very well in
her long military career.

She looked up at the stars, then out over the vast desert. The Amazons were
still out there. Waiting. So far, she had just been sampling a few appetizers.
The main course was yet to come.

Early the next morning, as the army was on its way again, a squadron of scouts
rode up to Roslyn. My Princess. I think youll want to see this, said their
commander. They led her to a group of seven male heads, decapitated and
impaled on pikes. The heads were those of Prince Antonius and his six
generals.

Bury those quickly, and dont let the rest of the men see them, she ordered.
Roslyn shook her head. She knew she was supposed to feel sorrow for the loss
of her brother, but he and his twin had been nothing but arrogant jerks to her
all their lives. She just wasnt feeling much at all.

It was around noon when it became clear that a major battle would start soon.
The two sides cavalry had been skirmishing all morning, with the action
steadily increasing in intensity. Finally, the Amazon horse archers approached
the Imperial army en masse, preparing for a full-on attack.

The teenage Amazon princess whose little force of 2000 women had effortlessly
slaughtered 20,000 men smirked arrogantly as her horse archers approached the
enemy. She had cockily refused her Queens offer of reinforcements for the next
battle, thinking that if her small army could exterminate 20,000 so easily,
what was 9000 to them? Unfortunately for her, she had no idea that Roslyn was
in command.

This is it, men, said Roslyn, riding back and forth across her forces lines,
trying to comfort and encourage the soldiers who knew what this girl-army had
done to their comrades. Stand strong. For the Empire! Archers, prepare to fire
on my signal.

And so it began, 1500 Imperial crossbowmen versus 1200 female horse archers.
The crossbowmen readied their Mark VIIs. Roslyns trained eyes watched the
enemy horsewomen ride closer and closer. When she judged the distance to be
just right, she shouted, FIRE!

A volley of steel bolts flew towards the Amazons. Many fell short and many
missed the petite, fast moving targets, but several dozen riders fell off
their horses and hit the desert floor hard. The Amazons fired a volley of
arrows in response, but the lesser range of their bows caused them to fall
short.

NOW! SHIELDS! screamed Roslyn. The crossbowmen removed the massive shields
they had been carrying on their backs and planted them into the ground.
Ducking behind cover, they reloaded their weapons as the Amazons, whose bows
could be fired much more quickly, sent another shower of projectiles.

The Amazon Princess cursed as she saw the arrows slam harmlessly into the
shields. And she couldnt order her force to ride around and attack the enemy
from behind because the river was covering their rear. A lesser force, a force
of men, would have ridden away. But the Amazons were women with balls (not
literally, of course). The riders charged closer, screaming war cries. The
crossbowmen fired another volley, dropping several dozen more Amazons, but now
the girl-archers were in range themselves. Some of the fastest and most
accurate markswomen were able to kill Imperial targets as they popped out from
behind their shields to shoot.

Both Princess Roslyn and the Amazon Princess quickly ordered their troops to
begin firing at will instead of using volleys. A nail-biting archery duel
developed. At first, the Imperials had the upper hand thanks to the greater
range of their weapons and their shields, but as the horsewomen drew closer,
they were able to fire their bows at steep upward angles, avoiding the shields
and nailing men in the backs of their necks or tops of their skulls. And the
Imperials Mark VII crossbows, though much faster to fire than the Mark VIs
that Antonius had foolishly used, were still a lot slower than the Amazon
horse archers bows. Soon, male bodies began dropping much faster than females.

Roslyn was ready. Cavalry charge! she ordered, preparing to lead them herself.
Trumpets blared as she led her 1500 light horsemen against the Amazon horse
archers. Blocking an arrow with her shield, she killed the shooter with a
well-aimed and powerfully thrown spear. There was a brief further exchange of
arrows and thrown spears, resulting in a few dozen casualties on each side,
before the Amazons retreated. Seeing the 800 Amazon heavy cavalry waiting in
the distance, Roslyn ordered her own force to retreat as well.

Now what? asked one of her generals.

We wait, she said simply.

The Amazon commander cursed again as her horse archers retreated. Attack!
Attack, you cowards! the hotheaded teenage girl screamed.

My Princess, please, said a middle-aged woman, an advisor who had been sent by
the Queen to prevent the fiery princess from getting herself or her army into
too much trouble. They would have been caught between the enemy cavalry and
the crossbows. They had to retreat. They had no choice.

Then send the heavy cavalry to attack!

My Lady, the enemy has spears backed with crossbows. It would be suicide. They
outnumber us almost five to one. We must send for reinforcements. Then we will
be able to defeat them.

The teenage Amazon growled angrily. We were able to defeat them effortlessly
when they outnumbered us ten to one! Why do they fight like they have balls
all of a sudden?!

I think I can answer that, my Princess, said one of the horse archers. I saw
their commander. Its a woman.

Nods of understanding came from the Amazons at that. But why would a woman
fight for those males? asked the Princess.

That question will have to wait, said the advisor. Right now, we need to focus
on getting those reinforcements.

As the Amazons retreated into the distance on their horses, the Imperial army
let out a loud cheer, whooping and hollering. Roslyn was about to remind them
that all they had done was run off a force barely one-fifth their size, but
stopped herself. Let them have this, she thought. It would be good for morale.
The men certainly seemed happier and less frightened as they were setting up
camp, the Imperial Princess thought as she stepped into the command tent that
evening for a meeting with her senior officers.

We lost slightly more than 200 men. The Amazons lost a little less than that,
one of her generals reported. However, because their force was much smaller,
proportionately they suffered a much greater percentage of casualties. They
cant sustain that, so I wouldnt expect any more attacks until they get
reinforcements.

Conventional attacks, yes, said Roslyn. But they may try more sneak attacks at
night. She had already ordered double sentries looking out over the desert and
triple sentries on the river. Well continue to advance along the river towards
enemy territory. The big battle is yet to come.

Suddenly, a man wearing the uniform of an Imperial Messenger burst into the
tent. My Lady, he said, bowing to the Princess and handing her a sealed
envelope. From the King himself, for your eyes only.

Roslyn thanked and dismissed him, then opened the letter. Her eyes widened as
she read it:

My dear daughter,

Your brother, Albert, has returned to the capital with the tattered remnants
of an army, most of which he squandered in foolish suicide attacks against the
barbarians of the north. That was the last straw. With the lack of intellect
of both of my sons and the death of Antonius, I am naming you the heir to the
throne. I know you will make a strong and wise Queen when it is your time.

Good luck in your battle and know that win or lose, a crown is waiting for you
upon your return home.

Love, Father

Roslyn pumped her fist in triumph, then noticed that all the men in the tent
were staring at her. You are dismissed, she said quickly.

Three days later, a scout returned with the news the Imperials had all been
anticipating. An Amazon army marches on us. Their numbers match ours. Nine
thousand men&er, women.

Thank you, said Roslyn. She nodded to herself. Now would be the real test.
Fighting against these lethal Amazons in numbers equal to her own.

The plain of battle was hot, dusty, and dry, with the fierce desert sun
beating down on both armies. The Amazons had formed up in a strong defensive
position to the east of Roslyns army, with the river covering one of their
flanks and a mass of cavalry guarding the other. The girl-warriors were simply
holding and making no move to charge. The Imperials would have to attack with
the sun shining right at their faces.

Clever, Roslyn murmured. They can outwait us. Our supply lines are longer and
we dont know this territory as well as they do. Theyve forced us onto the
offensive in a disadvantageous postion.

Shall I order the men to begin advancing, my Lady? one of her generals asked.

Not yet. Give the sun a little time to rise further so it wont be right in
their eyes. Hold a defensive position for now in case they attack.

As they waited, Roslyn ordered her light cavalry to use their spyglasses to
gather as much information about the enemy as they could. They have heavy and
light cavalry massed at the north. Swordswomen lined up two deep facing us to
the south of the riders, with archers right behind them and the main body of
swordswomen in the rear, came the report.

She nodded, looking at the sun. The angle wasnt too bad now, and if she waited
much longer it would get very hot. The heat would impact the heavily armored,
cold-climate-dwelling Imperials much more than it would the lightly armored,
darkly tanned Amazons. Thank you. General, prepare your men to advance.
Crossbowmen, load. Prepare to fire on my order.

The Imperial crossbowmen, locked and loaded, marched forward. Roslyns trained
eyes judged the distance as it grew closer and closer, waiting to deliver the
first volley at their exact maximum range.

But suddenly, a barrage of arrows came flying at the crossbowmen. They slammed
into the front ranks of males with devastating efficiency, dropping many dead
and others with gory wounds from the thick, massive arrows. The Amazon
archers, tall, ultra-muscular women with the enormous strength needed to draw
back their lethal long-range longbows, laughed triumphantly and prepared to
fire again.

Chaos erupted in the Imperial ranks. Some of the crossbowmen loosed their
bolts, which fell short of the enemy. Others began to turn and run. What
devilry is this, bows with a longer range than ours? cried an officer.

Now is not the time to wonder about that, said Roslyn, urging her horse
forward. HOLD, YOU FOOLS! she screamed at the crossbowmen. DONT RETREAT! HOLD
YOUR FIRE AND USE YOUR SHIELDS!

Her strong leadership restored order, and the crossbowmen planted their
shields into the ground, hiding behind them as the female archers fired
another volley. Some men were too slow and dropped dead, but most of them were
safe behind their shields this time.

In range! NOW! FIRE! she shouted. A barrage of steel bolts flew towards the
Amazons. It was not as efficient as it should have been, since some of the men
had foolishly fired earlier and were still reloading, but she knew that they
had to get a first volley off before the enemy reloaded. Several dozen Amazons
fell to the ground.

Fire at will! ordered Princess Roslyn and the commander of the girl-archers to
their respective armies. Again an archery duel erupted. The Amazon longbows
could fire ten arrows a minute compared with the Imperial crossbows four. At
first, the males shields evened things out, only allowing the Amazons to hit
them when they popped out to fire, but as the armies drew closer the female
archers were able to shoot at steeper angles, sending arrows over the shields
and into the mens skulls. Once they were able to do that, the Amazons superior
firepower and markswomanship meant that three or four males were dropping dead
for every female.

Although few knights had traveled with the army, their leader, Duke Larssen, a
fat fool who was called Duke Lardo behind his back, was there, along with
about 80 other mounted noblemen. The duke growled, annoyed at having to serve
under a woman and wanting glory for himself. Prepare to charge! he ordered his
knights. Well sweep those archer bitches off the field. Swordswomen just two
ranks deep in front of them? Well mow them down like grass.

Crossbowmen, retreat under shields! Roslyn ordered. Infantry, first division,
advan&what the fuck?

With a roar, Duke Larssen and his 80 knights were charging across the plain.
The Amazons pumped arrows into them. By the time they reached the enemy line,
60 of them were dead. The 20 survivors prepared to ride into the front ranks
of swordswomen, but the girls suddenly picked up long spears that had been
hiding in the dirt. The knights rode into them and were impaled and
slaughtered to the last man. A slender teenage girl with dark brown skin and
long silky black hair cut off the dukes head with her sword and impaled it on
a spear.

Fucking idiots, said Roslyn. Now, back to real war. Infantry, first division,
advance! The Imperial infantry marched forward. Arrows slammed into their
shields. Other men were not so lucky, as arrows nailed their heads from above.
Behind them, Roslyn re-formed the crossbowmen. They fired over the infantrys
heads and into the Amazons, reducing the pressure somewhat.

In the front of the Amazon ranks, 150 teenage girls with swords and spears
formed a thin brown line, guarding the Amazon archers firing over their heads
behind them, standing with balls of steel as thousands of Imperial heavy
infantrymen drew closer and closer. Though outnumbered 20 to 1 and
occasionally being hit by bolts from the crossbowmen, they showed no fear.

Suddenly, with perfect coordination, the girls hurled their spears at the
faces of the front ranks of Imperial infantry. Only a few men moved their
shields upward in time and over a hundred males dropped stone cold dead. The
girls then hurled themselves into cartwheels followed by back handsprings,
elegantly backflipping towards their enemies with incredible speed. They
finished their tumbling runs with high back tuck somersaults, flipping right
over the first rank of Imperials, landing perfectly on their feet right behind
them, and wreaking havoc with their swords on the mens vulnerable backsides.
With their speed, most of the girls were able to kill several men each before
being cut down.

Meanwhile, the Amazons had moved the rest of their swordswomen to the front,
with the longbow-women behind them. When the maneuver was complete, the
survivors from the girls who had penetrated the male ranks quickly backflipped
away.

As the two main bodies of infantry clashed, the Amazon cavalry charged. The
Imperial light cavalry intercepted their Amazon counterparts, a bloody battle
of arrows and thrown spears followed by hand-to-hand combat with swords and
axes breaking out. Meanwhile, the Amazon heavy cavalry rode around the
Imperials, preparing to attack their rear.

Roslyn gave a signal with a whistle from her full, pouty lips. A detachment of
reserve infantry, shields and spears at the ready, formed up to guard the
rear. Behind them, a force of crossbowmen moved into position, ready to fire
over their comrades heads. She then rejoined her staff officers.

Shit. Heavy cavalry to the west, light cavalry to the north, infantry to the
east, and the river to the south. Theyve got us surrounded. Were trapped! a
young officer panicked.

Quiet, Major, Princess Roslyn ordered him. Were surrounded. Were not trapped.
Spears backed with crossbows guard our western flank. Their cavalry cant get
past that. We are meant to *think* we are trapped, so we will panic. But we
will not panic. Right?

Right. Sorry, my Lady.

From a small hill overlooking the battle, the hotheaded teenage Amazon
princess in command of the female army smirked. Theyre surrounded. They must
be panicking. Heavy cavalry, charge the line. Theyll turn and run. Then we can
hit their main force from the rear, double envelop them, and finish them off.

My Princess, please, said the middle-aged advisor. If they *dont* run, our
girls will ride into a wall. Lets just contain them for now and tighten the
noose slowly.

Morwen, please, said the Amazon Princess. Im in command here. Theyll run. Now
give the signal to charge.

800 Amazon heavy cavalry charged the western Imperial line. Roslyn rode over
to her men. Steady, boys. Theyre trying to scare us. Dont run. The men, facing
Amazon war horses thundering towards them, probably would have run if she
hadnt been there, but her presence was enough to bring calm and strength to
them.

As the enemy riders entered crossbow range without turning away, she ordered,
Give them a volley. A barrage of steel bolts flew towards the Amazons. A few
dozen riders fell off their horses and into the desert sand. The cavalry
commander wisely turned the rest of her girls away.

Meanwhile, in the main infantry battle, although both sides were taking heavy
casualties, the heavy armor and large shields of the Imperials were actually
doing some good. They were slowly pushing the Amazons back. By the gods,
breathed one of Roslyns generals. Could we actually win?

Roslyns heart was pounding. She forced herself to remain calm, concentrating
on keeping an eye on every part of the battle, not counting her chickens
before they hatched.

The Amazon Princess scowled as Morwen gave her a look. Dont give me that I
told you so look, she growled. Im going to win this battle, one way or
another, and annihilate the enemy. Queens Guard! Forward, with me!

The Amazon Queens Guard, a hand-picked elite corps of 300 ultra-lethal female
warriors, the best of the best, who had each personally slain at least 50 men
in combat, began advancing in perfect formation as the hotheaded princess
dismounted her horse and joined them. The other Amazons parted to make way for
them. Morwen sighed. She had no choice but to pray that this would work.

Roslyn raised her eyebrows as she noticed. Theyre going for the whole
enchilada. Theyre going to try to smash our lines. Imperial Guard! Forward,
with me!

The Imperial Guard, a hand-picked elite corps of 400 men, veterans of many
wars and the best soldiers in the Imperial army, formed up and began
advancing. Roslyn turned to the colonel who had survived Antonius foolish
ambush. Besides myself, youre the strongest leader here. Protect our rear.
Dont let the men panic, and dont let anything break this line. If it does,
were doomed. As an afterthought, she added, No pressure, hoping the joke would
relieve the tension. It worked, as all the men laughed.

Turning serious again, Roslyn dismounted, exchanging her small round cavalry
shield for a large, rectangular infantry one. She patted the sword sheathed on
her hip, covered her head and face with a helmet, grabbed a spear, and hurried
to catch up with the Imperial Guard, positioning herself in the front rank.

The regular Imperial infantry, who had been slowly pushing the enemy back,
gasped in shock and fear when the lines of Amazons suddenly parted and 300
incredibly beautiful and muscular women were coming at them with elegant
aerial cartwheels followed by whipbacks. They backflipped with lightning
speed, crashing into the still-startled men and slicing, dicing, and
decapitating their way through the male ranks. Now the momentum was reversed,
with the female army advancing and the lucky men retreating and the unlucky
men dying.

The Amazon princess roared with laughter as she cut a mans head off, sliced
another in half, and slit the throats of two more. Men were slaughtered by the
hundreds, and still none of the Amazon Queens Guard had suffered anything
worse than a minor cut.

The regular male soldiers gladly parted to make way for the Imperial Guard.
All of a sudden, Roslyn and her men were facing the Amazon Princess and her
women. Two elite forces, the best of their respective armies. They stared at
one another for a second.

Then they both charged, spears, swords, and shields clashing as they collided.
Roslyn blocked a spear thrust with her shield and stabbed her attacker in the
foot with her own spear. With a cry of pain, the Amazons shield dropped.
Roslyn impaled her through the heart, then kicked the body off and slit
another Amazons throat with the razor-sharp end of her spear.

A girls blade flashed. Roslyn moved just enough to avoid having her right arm
cut off, although she still received a nasty gash on her shoulder, the pain
causing her to involuntarily drop her spear. She lashed out with a kick,
knocking her opponent back long enough for her to draw her sword. They
battled, swords striking each others shields for a few seconds, until Roslyn
suddenly backflip kicked the Amazon in the face, stunning her. Before she
could recover, Roslyn cut off her head.

She glanced around, quickly guesstimating the dead on each side. Although the
Imperial Guardsmen were much better fighters than the male regulars, she still
counted two dead men for every dead woman. And her side only outnumbered the
enemy 400 to 300. This wasnt going to work. Already the men were being pushed
back. If the Amazons broke through, the Imperial army would collapse.

She looked over at the Amazon Princess, who was gleefully slaughtering men
left and right with incredible skill. If this had been a movie, she would have
challenged her to Noble One-on-One Single Combat (TM), but this wasnt a movie.
The Amazon leader had foolishly and arrogantly not bothered to hide who she
was. Roslyn, on the other hand, equipped with the same weapons and shield as
her men and wearing the helmet, looked like any other soldier, though smaller.
Still, none of the enemy knew who she was. If they did, she knew she would
have been immediately targeted.

No, it was time to end this, once and for all. Snatching up her spear, she
hurled it with perfect accuracy at the Amazon Princess. The weapon impaled her
right in the throat, the tip sticking out of the back of her neck. She stood
ramrod straight for a second, then collapsed. The Amazons froze in shock for
just a split second. That was enough. With a high-pitched shriek, Roslyn led
the Imperial Guard in a counterattack.

A piercing whistle cut across the battlefield. The surviving Queens
Guardswomen began backflipping away like pro-gymnasts. A few of the men who
had been standing too close had their necks broken by the powerful backflip
kicks.

All across the battlefield, Amazons moved away in a calm and orderly retreat.
Let them go, ordered Roslyn. They have archers covering them, and weve been
pounded enough. She examined the wound on her shoulder. Nasty-looking, but not
really serious. She could still swing her sword and throw her spear.

A ragged cheer went up from the bruised and battered men as the enemy
disappeared into the distance. One of her generals rode up to her.
Congratulations on your victory, my Lady.

Roslyn looked around, surveying the heaps of her dead men, including many
high-ranking officers. One more victory like this, and we are ruined, she
responded grimly.

* * *

In the fortified Imperial camp by the river, Roslyn met with her surviving
senior officers in the command tent. I have the count, said a general. 2000 of
our men are dead. 800 are wounded too badly to fight if the Amazons attack
again, and another thousand are wounded but capable of combat.

Roslyn shook her head. One-third of our force is out of action, many of them
permanently. How about the enemy?

We counted 1200 Amazons dead on the field. Thats all we killed, they didnt
have time to carry off their dead. We dont know how many of them are wounded
but the number will probably be lower than ours.

So not only do they outnumber us now, but they can get reinforcements quickly,
while ours will take weeks. In addition, their foolish commander who made
mistakes is dead and has in all likelihood been replaced by someone far
smarter. Roslyn wondered if she should have left the hotheaded Amazon alive,
but it was only her death that had stopped the elite Amazons charge. It had
been a no-win situation.

Gentlemen, its time to face reality, Roslyn continued. If we fight them again,
our chances of victory are very slim.

So what are we going to do? asked a colonel. Just retreat?

No, said Roslyn. If we did that, they would probably follow us. Most likely
invade our territory. No, I think its time for a parley.

A parley? Those Amazons slaughtered the men from our first army who tried to
surrender, said a general. I dont think theyll be very open to negotiation.

Not with a man. But I dont believe they will harm a female emissary. And with
that hotheaded princess dead, cooler heads should be in command now. I will
send one of my female servants over to their camp with a flag of truce.

* * *

An enemy rider approaches! He carries a white flag, an Amazon scout reported.

He is a fool, then, said a muscular female archer, reaching for an arrow.

Wait, said her commander. The rider is a woman. Lets see what she wants.

* * *

My Lady, said the servant, bowing as she entered the Imperial command tent.
The enemy commander has agreed to a parley with you. Tomorrow at noon.

Thank you, said Roslyn, squeezing the girls hand. You were very brave. You
will be rewarded for this. She turned to her officers. It is settled then.
Tell the sentries to stay sharp. I dont think theyll try anything now but you
never know.

The night passed without incident, however. The next morning, the two armies
formed up on the dusty desert plain, ready to fight if the negotiations went
bad. The tension was thick as the forces faced each other. Dont let any of the
men do anything stupid, the Princess instructed her senior general.

Yes, milady. As she began riding away from her lines, he added, Good luck.

Roslyn looked at her counterpart as the two women rode towards each other. She
was tall, slender, and beautiful, with long light brown hair and an elegant,
high-cheekboned face. Though she was an older woman, probably in her forties,
her hazel eyes still sparkled with energy.

The woman dismounted elegantly despite the long dress she was wearing. As
Roslyn dismounted as well and looked into the other womans face, she saw a
long scar running down her cheek, looking like it was from a battle many years
ago.

Princess Roslyn. I am Morwen, senior advisor to the Queen of the Amazon
Nation.

It is good to meet you, Morwen, said Roslyn formally.

You may dispense with the pleasantries. I only agreed to this meeting because
you are a woman in command of these men. If you have something you feel is
worthy of my time, then speak it.

Roslyn took a deep breath. Her opponent was clearly powerful and cunning. She
would have to play this just right. The fate of thousands lay in her hands.

If that is your wish, then so be it. We did not want a war with the Amazon
Nation. This conflict began when one hundred of our men were slaughtered in an
outpost on our own territory, without provocation.

Without provocation? I guess the one man our girls left alive just long enough
to tell the story didnt tell the whole truth. He didnt tell you that those
soldiers at the outpost decided to entertain themselves by sailing down the
river into Amazon land and attempting to rape Amazon women. Of course that
ended in the invaders being slaughtered. Then we nailed the rest of them at
the outpost in retaliation.

Roslyn stared in shock, then clenched her fists in anger. Those stupid fools,
thinking with their cocks. They had gotten thousands killed. And their idiocy
had placed her in a very difficult position.

My Lady, I am sorry. I did not know. If I had known, things would have gone
very differently.

Would they now. Morwens tone showed no emotion at all.

Yes. But at any rate, whether you believe me or not, that is in the past and
cannot be undone. We must focus on the present. Many have died on both sides.
Both our armies are battered. There is no need for more killing. I offer a
treaty of peace.

Are you still under the command of your father?

Well, of course. He is the King&

The Amazon Nation does not sign treaties with men. However, I have an offer of
my own. Join us. Become a general of the Amazon army. You know everything
about those men. With your knowledge and our fighting skills, we will become
an unstoppable force.

Treason?! I will not!

Why do you fight for a nation that regards women as inferior?

It is not quite so simple as that. This is my nation. This is my blood. There
are many good men here that do not regard women as inferior. There are many
men that I love. Including my father.

We will not treat with a land under the rule of a man. Now unless you have
anything further&

I do. Roslyn took out the letter from her father. The King has named me his
heir. I will become Queen.

Morwen read the letter, appearing deep in thought. Roslyn could see the wheels
turning as her counterpart went over possibilities and consequences like a
chess player. Finally the Amazon said, Under these circumstances, I can treat
with you. If you can convince your father to leave the Amazon Nation alone, we
can have peace. But this is contingent on you remaining heiress to the throne.
If not, the treaty will become null and void.

Trust me, said Roslyn. You wont have to worry about that happening.

* * *

Well? said one of her officers excitedly. How did it go, my Lady?

We have signed a treaty with the Amazons. The borders remain the same. The
desert is a neutral zone. Anyone entering the desert does so at their own
risk, and killings in the desert will not be considered a declaration of war.
Both armies are to retreat immediately.

The news was greeted with mixed emotions. Some of the men still wanted to
fight the Amazons, but others recognized that the treaty was probably for the
best, since they most likely would not have been able to defeat the female
army. One loudmouthed officer shouted, They butchered 20,000 of our men and
were not going to take vengeance?!

Vengeance? said Roslyn sharply. Did you know that the soldiers at that outpost
started this whole war by entering Amazon territory and trying to rape their
women? The attack on the outpost was not unprovoked. THAT was vengeance. The
officer hung his head in shame.

As the army began preparing to move out, Roslyn thought about the offer Morwen
had made. She had rejected it immediately. There was no reason for her to
accept it, since her father had named her heir to the throne. But what if he
had not? What if the idiotic Albert was to become king? She was willing to
follow her fathers orders because he was an intelligent man. But could she
have followed Alberts? If it had come to that, Morwens offer would have been
very tempting&

She snapped herself out of her thoughts. The Princess was sure of one thing.
She was glad she wouldnt have to make that decision. All right, men, Roslyn
called out. Lets go home.

* * *

You surrendered to them? You coward! spat Albert at his sister. Daddy! he
whined. This is why GIRLS shouldnt be rulers! I should be king!

Shut the fuck up, you fool, Roslyn snapped at her brother. I didnt surrender
to anyone. I signed a treaty as an equal. And I saved thousands of lives.
Maybe even yours.

Albert, calm yourself, said King Frederick.

I will not! In fact, I will not accept this! Roslyn, I CHALLENGE YOU! Albert
drew his sword.

Roslyn drew her own blade. I was hoping youd say something like that.

Roslyn, said her father. He had a tone of warning. She looked at him and read
his expression. It said, Dont kill him. He may be an idiot but hes still my
son. The king knew that Albert was no match for her and had no chance of
winning. She smirked to herself at the thought. She nodded to her father and
he nodded back.

Well, bring it on, Fat Albert, Roslyn taunted her opponent. The prince stared
down in shame at his fat gut, wishing he had toned abs like his sister.

The fight didnt last long. The Princess blocked her brothers wild swing
easily, popped him in the nose with her free fist, and gave him a small cut on
his arm with her sword, causing him to drop his own weapon with a yelp. She
then did a standing back handspring, kicking him in the jaw and sending him to
the floor. Landing elegantly on her feet, she stood over him dominantly, her
blade right in front of his face. Some challenge, she mocked him. Everyone in
the room was laughing at the stupid prince.

* * *

When King Frederick III died five years later, Roslyn was crowned Queen Roslyn
I. She stripped Albert of all his lands and noble titles, and forced him to
live as a peasant commoner. The fat earl (remember him?) who had said that
girls couldnt fight and the loudmouthed officer (remember him?) who had wanted
vengeance on the Amazons after the treaty had been signed received the same
treatment.

Her reign was long and prosperous, and under her the Empire grew in size,
although of course she respected the boundaries with the Amazons. No conflict
occurred between the Amazons and the Empire during her rule. She fought many
wars on other fronts, however, personally leading her soldiers in combat and
winning stunning victories over larger enemy armies time and again.

On the domestic front, Queen Roslyn instituted an intelligent and workable
policy towards sexual equality that combined real change and a genuine desire
to make things better for women with respect for tradition and recognition of
the realities of a medieval monarchy. The powerful trade guilds and the
Imperial army became open to women, although both remained majority male.

Eventually, she married the smart colonel (remember him?) who had been the
only survivor of Antonius doomed army. They had two sons together, and when
they grew up, she declared her younger son to be her heir, as he was smarter
than his older brother. He was eventually crowned King Frederick IV.

Although Frederick IV continued his mothers policies of sexual equality, they
couldnt last forever. Only seven years into his reign, the new king was killed
in battle against the barbarians of the north. His children were too young to
rule directly, and the council of advisors that ruled in their place, after
putting down a bloody coup attempt by Frederick IVs older brother and
beheading him, swiftly rolled back all the reforms that Queen Roslyn had made.
Unsurprisingly, war with the Amazons erupted again. But that is a tale for
another time.

Time marched on. Years, decades, centuries. Great sailing-ships were invented,
along with cannons and muskets. The Empire began expanding across the sea,
finding new islands to explore and conquer. The line of kings and queens
continued, finally reaching King Frederick IX, father of Princess Katarina.

* * *

Katarina closed the journal. Fascinating, she said out loud. She loved
history. Outside, the rain was still pounding her tent.

Another commotion came from outside. She opened the flap. Its okay. Im still
not sleeping.

It was a Royal Messenger this time. From your father, for your eyes only, my
Lady, he said, bowing and handing her a letter.

Thank you, said Katarina. She retreated back into her tent and opened the
letter. She began to shake as she read it:

My dearest Katarina,

It breaks my heart to say this, but I have decided that your brother will
inherit the throne. Although you would make a far better ruler than he would,
I have heard whispers of assassination should you become Queen, from evil men
who do not want someone of your strength with the crown. I would much rather
have you alive and not ruling than have you as a dead Queen. I know it will be
tough, but in time I hope you will come to understand my decision.

Love, Father

The Princess put her face in her hands. How could he?! She risked her life
time and again in battle against REAL enemies. How could her father be more
worried about POSSIBLE assassins?

Katarina remembered what she had just read, about Roslyn wondering if she
would have switched sides and joined the Amazons if she had not been named
heir to the throne. Well, now SHE was going to have to do more than wonder.
She was going to have to make a decision&

TO BE CONTINUED&

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