The Queen's Reign

Chapter 1 - Jousting

Lilith applauded her father as he took center stage on his beautiful, black as night stallion. He had done this hundreds of times before, where he would knock the enemy off its horse and onto the ground. It was a brutal sport. Many perished during it but because of the kingdom's high reproductive rate, there were plenty of more replaceable men to be found.

"You can do this, dad!" Lilith shot out of her seat, from the balcony above the peasant folk and cheered her father on.

Her father grinned back at her, feeling extremely confident.

Lilith mostly took after her deceased mother's appearance. She was tall, tanned and her curly black hair went to her waist. However, she had her father's emerald green eyes. She was wearing a short pink sleeveless gown that went to her knees. Her slippers were also pink in color.

"Don't worry, Lilith, I'll knock this man right into the afterlife!" Her father declared gleefully.

"If you'd let me take over," a tall man with scars all over his face told the next jousting competition. "Then I can teach that bragging buffoon a lesson or two. That is if he's alive."

"Sure," the knight said, wiping his forehead of sweat. "I'd rather not add to the body count. I just want to support my family back home, you know?"

"Yeah, whatever," the scar-covered man rolled his eyes. He mounted the horse and then proceeded towards Lilith's smug father.

"Aye, I haven't seen you before," Lilith's father informed him.

"This is the first and last time you'll be seeing me," the man replied, slyly.

Lilith's father laughed. "I wouldn't be too sure about that. They don't call me the stampeder for no reason. I'll crush you once I fling you off your horse."

The man ignored him and charged. Lilith's father returned the action.

"Come on papa, beat that freak," Lilith urged from where she was sitting.

The next second came as a total shock for Lilith.

Lilith's father was impaled as the scarred beyond repair man drove his weapon right through his tainted heart. Of course, Lilith knew her father was ruthless, however he was good at what he did. Ruling with an iron fist, he made sure everyone knew what he was. A King. A goddam king who's just had his life taken right out of him.

The audience gasped.

"Sire!" One of the guards called out, in disbelief. "You OK?"

"The hell does it look like?" The guard next to him, questioned. "He had a sword go right through his heart. I doubt anyone would walk out alive from that."

"Perhaps in another 100 years, we'll discover technology that can make us immortal..." a third guard piped up.

"That was such a random thing to say, idiot!"

"Attention," the King's attendant announced, clearing his throat. "King Lionel is dead. His only remaining heir, which is sadly a woman, must take over."

All eyes turned to Lilith.

She gulped.

Also, what the heck was wrong with the attendant?!

Lousy, no good sexist freak!

Lilith knew the first thing she'd do as Queen would be to fire him.

"And you," the attendant pointed his finger angrily at the scarred man, "you will be hanged for your crimes."

"But first you'll have to get me," the scarred man jeered.

He took off on his horse.

"After him!" The attendant roared. "Do not let him get to the Dragon Bridge! Then he'll be gone for good!"