The Queen's Pleasure

The competition

In answer to the Queen's invitation, 12 people had come forward. And now they stood before the Queen's throne. Maya was among them.

She looked down the line of 11 people. Some people were there because they needed the Queen's favour and her money. A few others because they were generally lonely. And a few others because they liked the idea of fucking the Queen.

Maya would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she was part of that last category. But she also had a huge crush on the queen for a long while now, and she needed the money. It would also help in not feeling so lonely every night. She had multiple reasons to be here, she needed to, because if Andy found out, she'd have to explain herself.

There were 6 men and 6 women and that was all Maya could tell. When she signed up, she had to sign a disclaimer that said she was above the age of 25, she consented to having to strip, be touched or examined, during the elimination rounds, however many that would be. And that if she were selected she consented to living on the palace grounds and being available to the queen at her beck and all. It also had her tick mark some options, like what she was okay with and what she wasn't, in bed. Maya found that funny. Because it's the Queen, who would deny her anything. But she respected her all the more for it.

Before lining up in front of the throne. The 12 contestants were debriefed. They were not to speak to the queen until spoken to. They were not to move their hands from behind their bodies where they were to be clasped together. They were to bow when the Queen entered and only rise once she said so.

They asked how many would get through to the next round. But the soldiers had no answers. The contestants knew though, that sometimes a suitor would be chosen within two rounds. And sometimes within 6. So there was no saying how this would go.

While they waited patiently for the queen to arrive. Maya took a moment to inspect the others. They were dressed well. Some wore pure white tunics and some wore pressed shirts. The women wore lose gowns with straps to show off their shoulders and their cleavage. Smart choice, Maya thought. She didn't have anything that fancy, so here she stood, in a khaki shirt, that may have had a stain or two. Loose three-forth pants and her old rusty boots. It almost looked comical.

She could have asked Andy for something better, but then she'd also have to explain to Andy why she was doing this. So she avoided that conversation.

She looked at the other 11 up to down and could tell no one had a bulge bigger than hers. It made her a little confident. She was 11th in the row, so if the queen went in line, Maya would either be inspected second or second-last and she didn't know which one was better.

All her thoughts came to a halt when she heard two guards open the doors to the throne room and announce, "Her Majesty, Ruler of Etheria."

The room was silent and the only sound they heard was the footsteps of the queen as she walked from a side door up to her throne. The line of 12 were down on one knee with their heads bowed and so were the soldiers.

"Rise," the Queen said. And the 12 rose in unison. Maya lifted her face to see the queen, and lost her balance as she rose, tripping towards the side and unclasping her hands from behind her to hold the man beside so as to not fall. It alerted all the guards because she dared to move her hands and two of them began to rush towards her while two almost covered the Queen.

"Sorry, sorry, I don't have any weapons, I'm just clumsy, nothing to worry about," Maya said, raising her hands in the air. The Queen moved her guards aside, with her sceptre - the ones that stood before her to protect her.

"Hands behind your back," a soldier declared to Maya as he stood in front of her.

"Done, see, no harm done," Maya said, as the soldier stepped aside and the Queen's eyes fell on Maya's.

When Maya saw Carina's eyes boring into her own, she felt embarrassed. She looked down immediately. Carina didn't bother sitting on her throne, she went right to it. "Step forward," she said.

And the 12 took a step forward. She scanned the line of them. Then she began to walk towards them. She went to the far end of the line first, far from Maya, making Maya, indeed, second last.

A guard walked instep with the Queen reading out the contestant's profiles to the Queen as she greeted the contestant with a nod.

Maya shouldn't have been bending forward to look, but she was curious, curious to see how the queen was reacting to each of the contestants profiles or their faces, or their general demeanour.

Maya was growing impatient. She wasn't used to standing so still for this long. But when the queen was on number 9, Maya decided she needed to give this just a few more minutes.

The anticipation was killing her.

When the guard was finally in front of Maya, Maya kept her eyes down until her profile was done being read out. The soldier read from his scroll.

"Maya Bishop
Age 29
Daughter of Lane and Kathryn Bishop
Both deceased"

The queen, with her finger on Maya's chin, tipped Maya's face up, Maya swore she felt electricity pass through her body at that touch.

"Hails from Caldost, Etheria, city of the royal family.
Occupation: Multiple" The soldier said

The Queen's eyebrows scrunched up at that, but she didn't ask any questions. But Maya felt the need to answer. "I do a lot of odd jobs, around town," Maya said.

"I didn't ask," The Queen said and Maya felt embarrassed again. She was not to speak until spoken to.

Carina looked into her eyes and there was a small smirk there, if Maya saw right. She disconnected her finger from Maya's chin and moved to the last contestant.

Maya breathed an inaudible sigh. That went as bad as it could go, she thought to herself.

When the queen walked back to her throne, the line of men and women stood up straighter. They didn't know if the queen's choice would be relayed to them later or now on the spot.

She took a seat on her throne and began speaking.

"Thank you all for being here today. I would like the following people to take a step back please," the queen said.

And then she began naming some contestants. Maya began praying her name was not on the list of those eliminated.

"Augustus, Cleo, Clement, Sky, Victor, Maya," the queen said. "Take a step back," she ordered.

And Maya felt her heart drop. She didn't even get past the first round. There were 6 people standing ahead of her. And any of those 6 would soon become the queen's next partner.

"Front row, thank you," The queen said, "you may leave the palace, you will be escorted out with a token of gratitude for your time and patience," she said.

Maya's ears stood at that. Did that mean, the back row was the one that made it to the next round?

She waited with bated breath, a little confused, but hoping to know. "Back row, thank you, I will see you here tomorrow, my guards will instruct you on the appropriate dress code, on your way out," she said. With that, she rose, and once again the line of contestants bowed. She made her way back out through the doors she came through and then the contestants were led out.

***

When Maya left the palace gates, she smiled to herself proudly, tomorrow's dress code was 'nothing'. And that was her favourite outfit. It was a winning outfit after all.