Tribal Queen Book 1

Chapter 10

Reyn walked into the meeting chambers, the current members all looked up at her. "Greetings, I will try to keep this short as I know you must all get ready for the feast tonight. I am not sure if you are aware... But the representatives from each tribe as well as the chosen male from each one have started to arrive. They will also be in attendance at tonight's celebrations. I will be announcing my choice for a true husband." And before they could issue a protest that she has not even met the other males yet to make this choice already, "I will hear nothing negative about my choice. I will consider it to be a slander against the crown. Am I understood?"

"But Your Grace..." The eldest member of the council attempted to ask her about her choice.

"I said I do not want to hear anything about it and I meant it." Anger flashed in her eyes.

The council member decides not to press her further about it, at least for now. The rest of the members kept quiet, and even a few had an approving smile on their faces. All they wanted was for her to take a husband and produce an heir... so they will take their victory where they can. Before she leaves the room she lets them all know about the new council.

"Also, I am replacing all of you with the chosen males from the tribes. I am not going to take them as my lovers, but will use them in this fashion." She stood to leave the room and whispers started around the table, causing her to snap around at them, "If you have something to say... I will give you each one chance before the matter is closed for good." A fierce look to her eye was apparent to all in the room.

The council decided that it was not worth the wrath of their queen since she was allowing them all an early retirement, and not by way of the gallows or a run-in with Zu. So they would take that as a small victory for keeping their lives.

One council member stood, "Your grace... You should know about the strange reports that we have been getting before you dismiss us."

Reyn eyed him for a moment before she waved her hand at him, "Please continue. I am curious as to why I am just hearing about this now."

"We didn't want to alarm you until we knew for sure it was something more than gossip or rumors meant to scar the weaker-minded fools. But, it would seem these reports are true. People have gone missing, for days or weeks at a time... when they finally do return they have no memory of where they were, but they are branded strangely."

Reyn took a step forward, "And... did you find out any more information than that?"

"Yes... we found that the branding is of an old symbol, one that translates to your name. Or the name was given to you by the Gods."

Reyn narrowed her eyes, "Reyna?" The council all shook their heads yes. "Figure this out now!" She shouted, slamming her fist down on the table. A slight crack appeared on the solid stone surface.

"Why is the name Reyna an issue for you, Your Grace?" A young man who had brought in a tray of refreshments asked. This caused a member of the council to reach back and attempt to strike him for speaking out when it was not his place. But Reyn took a hold of his wrist, she had reached him with lightning-quick speed. The other council members all gasped.

"You dare to strike him as if he were a slave!" Something flashes over her eyes and her anger reach a boiling point. "If I hear of anyone dare to touch a servant out of anger... I will see you hang myself. Or take your head." Her blade was out and she flipped it from hand to hand. "I can do the honors myself right here, right now."

The man dropped to his knees and begged for mercy, "I am sorry, it will not happen again."

"See to it that it doesn't. The servants are not slaves.... Nor do they belong to any of you. Understood? When I tell them they 'belong' to me.... I am telling them that I will not let anything happen to them. They are under my protection. But I do not own them for abuse!"

The servant bowed to her, then asked his question again. "Your name, Your Grace?"

Reyn looked at him, "Reyna was my name from the God's.... My parents. I was sent here by them, left all on my own as a child. So I took the name Reyn when I became queen.... It is who I am now. No longer a goddess."

Willow's voice was heard from the doorway, "I believe I speak for everyone when I say you will always be a Goddess to us. But you are our Goddess."

Reyn looked at Willow, anger over what she had done started to leave Reyn's mind. "Thank you," Reyn said as she slowly turned back to the council. "I feel that I am not a Goddess anymore... but perhaps you are right. It is not something that I can escape. Nonetheless, we need to find out who is branding my people. I will not take this lightly. How long until someone is hurt?"

Willow stood at her side, "I will have Zu send his best men to look into this."

"You and Zu can be married soon after my own bonding ceremony has accrued."

Willow bowed and left the room, the council all looked back to Reyn with a little bit of a questioning look. It was no secret that Reyn had been sleeping with Willow for some time now.

"Willow petitioned to marry Zu. I granted her this right." Reyn informed them.

The council recorder made note of this and then the council dispersed to finish preparations for that night's celebration.

Willow decided to take a walk along the capital City's edge, just outside of the protective walls. She needed to clear her head and push the feelings she had for Hunter out of her mind. She was not sure why she felt such a pull towards him, and she wanted her marriage to Zu to be a good one. He was a kind and protective person, he deserved a dedicated wife.

The bonding ceremony was a long-standing tradition, and after this occurred the bonded pair would have a connection between them, that can only be severed by the death of one of them. And even after one has died, the bond may still remain if you have a strong enough bond. True soul mates who are lucky enough to find each other and go through the ceremony, may never get over the loss of their bonded mate. Death from a broken heart has been known to happen to the surviving bonded soulmate.

Willow had a feeling that Hunter and Reyn might be soulmates, because without the ceremony taking place... the two of them seem to suffer when the other one is not close by. Willow only hopes that her bond with Zu will be strong enough to push all her feelings for Hunter and Reyn out of her heart and mind.