The air was fresh and quiet, everything was still and peaceful, just how Krista liked it. After the chaos of the Capital, the peace of the outer villages was priceless. It had been 6 years since she had come here and she hadn’t regretted it for a moment.

Ok, so maybe she didn’t have as much to do here, the only real excitement being the occasional fox or hawk trying to get at the sheep under her protection, but she didn’t mind that, especially considering the circumstances under which she left the Capital.

But that was a long time ago and she was happy here. She knew things were a mess in the midlands and protectors could demand a premium but she wasn’t interested. The mob was out of control and their territory was increasing.

The King had stirred them up with his efforts to get rid of them and the situation was dicey at best. She’d heard of the terrible things that were going on and the hard time people were having but that was someone else’s fight and she was loath to get in the middle of it. There was little chance of the conflict spreading all the way out here and weren’t the people here entitled to protection too? No matter what from?

As long as Krista could remember she had wanted to be a protector and she loved it, she really did, but not everything turns out as you think it will. No, she’d leave the midlands to those whose hearts were up for a fight, her heart was set on peace and quiet.

She drew her arms around her as dusk began to fall and shifted so that she could get a better view of any creature that may come out of the woods.

Dusk was turning into night when the movement caught her eye. A sly brown fox came slinking out of the woods, headed straight for the newborn lambs penned for the night.

Of course it was no threat to either Krista or the flock but she dealt with it swiftly nonetheless.

She raised her left hand, her bracelet clinking quietly, and palm up, toward the fox, closed her eyes and pushed a soft pulse of power towards it.

She felt the energy gather in her palm, right at the heart of her bracelet, the diamond at its center warming slightly before shooting at the predator.

The light hit the fox square on its side and it yelped before turning tail and running back to the forest. Krista waited a few minutes before being satisfied it wouldn’t return. Unlikely though it was, Joe, the sheep farmer could handle anything else that came along tonight, but her intuition told her they’d be fine. The flock wouldn’t be threatened again tonight. She climbed down from her perch, a stony outcrop about 3 metres high on the border of the village fields and the forest and headed home.

For centuries it had fallen to the women of the land to provide protection. King Willard the wise coming up with a way to tap into their internal strength, the strength that allowed them to soldier on under so much adversity and inequality so many lifetimes ago now.

Krista had heard stories of what it used to be like for women, considered their husband’s property and not even being able to have a say in the affairs of state… she only wondered how no one discovered their strength earlier. Yes, even now some 500 years later women were still clambering for advantageous marriages and premiums were placed on the children they bore but at least they were equal. With the creation of protectors it showed men how strong a woman’s inner strength could be, that it could be just as much, if not more than a man’s physical one. Women may not be able to lift a 50-kilo rock but if the life of their child or someone they loved was threatened there wasn’t a man in this world who could kill her spirit. There’s a reason female animals who are protecting their young are the most dangerous, and yet, it took Willard to realise this and utilise it. He came up with the device to channel this strength, diamonds held in the left palm, connected to the hand with a bracelet and ring worn on the middle or ring finger. As well as deadly, they were beautiful pieces of jewellery, but worthless to anyone but the original owner or her protector kin.

Krista’s bracelet had been her great, great, great grandmother’s and one of the first ever created, a gift to the family from King Willard himself.

Her father had shone with pride the day he gave it to her, her mother had wept, a lifetime of promise down the drain.

Agnés (that’s pronounced Arn-yes thank you) Wills didn’t see the honour and prestige associated with having a protector as a daughter, she only saw the many hours she would need to spend training and thus away from court and time spent trying to snare a suitable husband.

Not that that would be a particularly difficult task, both Krista and Charlotte (Charlie for short) had inherited their mother’s beauty; her long raven hair, deep brown eyes and olive skin which was made even more impressive with their father’s imposing height. Together all 3 women were the most beautiful amongst those who made up King Edward’s court, but Agnés would’ve hated had one of the lesser beauties made it down the aisle ahead of them.

As it was, Krista disappointed her mother far more by running off at the age of 18 and marrying Leo Burns who, at 39 was 21 years her senior, was also nothing more than a lowly tutor. He had been sent to the outer villages to educate the numerous peasant children that inhabited the villages so far away it’s a wonder the Capital cared enough to send Leo in the first place.

Krista sat on the swinging chair on the verandah and took off her muddy boots lest she traipse mud though the house. It may be small and humble but it was hers and Leo’s together, something her parents didn’t have a hand in and she was proud of it.

Her mother would’ve had a heart attack had she cared to see where and how Krista lived, but given her abrupt departure from court, Agnés cared very little for her eldest daughter.

“Any trouble?” Leo asks from his comfy chair by the fire, his nose deep in a book as always.

“Just a fox a few minutes ago, he won’t return for a while,” she answers and kisses the top of her husband’s head.

“Good, good. Anna-Marie sent over some dinner, it’s on the stove. She said to say thank you once again.”Last week Krista had saved Anna-Marie’s prized pumpkins from a particularly nasty looking crow and she’d kept them fed for the past week. It had been the best meals they’d had in a while, neither Krista nor Leo were good cooks.

“I’d tell her not to bother but her cottage pies and pasties are so good I have a mind to let another crow in just so I can save her pumpkins again,” and Leo chuckles softly.

Krista goes to the kitchen and takes a large helping of Anna-Marie’s cottage pie and settles at the table to eat. Leo stays in his chair reading.

Krista finishes, does her dishes and pops her head into the lounge room.

“I’m going to wash up and then go to bed,” she says.

Leo looks up, his age written across his face with years of frowning over his books causing deeps lines on his brow.

“Ok sweetie, good night.”

“Good night,” she answers and goes off to the bathroom.

A lifetime ago she might have fantasised about her husband coming to join her in the shower before tumbling into bed to make love all night but that wasn’t hers and Leo’s relationship.

In the 6 years they’d been married the only time they’d made love was on their wedding night and even then it was a passionless affair.

Not that Krista minded, passion and lust were just some of the things she hoped to escape by marrying Leo, but it would’ve been nice, just once, for him to take her and make love to her like a man should to the woman he pledged to spend his life with. But that wasn’t Leo and she knew that going in, it was why she chose him after all.

She finishes in the shower and dries her hair as best she can, there are no fancy hair dryers this far from the Capital, but Krista doesn’t mind. By sheer weight her waist length hair will straighten itself and keep it out of her way come tomorrow.

She changes into her plain sleeping shirt and shorts and climbs into bed, she knows it’ll be a while before Leo joins her.

Don’t get him wrong, Leo loves his wife. Had he been 20 years younger when they met he would’ve had no doubt that he would’ve been one of the numerous bachelors at court fighting for her hand, but now he’s an old man, and sickly too. This cough of his had been with him for 3 months now and he’d been unable to shake it, even with Krista writing to General Wills for some expensive medicine from the Capital.

Had he been a better man he probably wouldn’t have married her at all but what could he do? She came to him, her raven hair tumbling over her shoulders, the hood of her cloak unable to restrain it, begging him to take her with him when he left for the outer villages. Then she kissed him and he’d been unable to say no. He’d known both Wills girls as young children and had always spared a moment for Krista, he knew even then that she was special. She commanded every man around her with ease and it made him laugh the way she had Ethan Edwards and Connor White especially, eating out of the palm of her hand. Her younger sister Charlotte seemed to inherit this skill as well but was sent away to France at the age of 7 to learn the ways of their courts, he hadn’t seen her since.

He knew their marriage had shocked the court but at the time he had no thought of that, he thought only of protecting the young, scared, hurt girl who had begged him to take her away with him.

Yes, she was and still is extraordinarily beautiful but he knew that she didn’t and doesn’t love him. She’d permitted him to make love to her on their wedding night but it had been such a passionless affair and she had been so broken he couldn’t bring himself to try again.

She’d been sleeping soundly for a few hours before he crept into their bedroom. Her hair was drying in soft tendrils around her face and the light from the candle he carried lit her face in such a way that she could’ve been up there with the angels painted on the roof of the castle’s chapel. Not for the first time he thought about divorcing her and leaving her free to return to the life she should’ve had but she seemed content with their life here. In any case he’d grown so attached to her he wasn’t entirely sure he could let her go even if he wanted to.

Had things been as they should, she would’ve been his Queen but that good for nothing louse Ethan Edwards had broken her heart and thrust her into his arms instead. Leo knew it was almost treasonous to think of his King that way but he had no doubt that that was the least of what the King deserved.

King Ethan Edwards paced outside his wife’s chambers, her screams echoing throughout the castle.

All of their children’s births had been difficult but coming so close together, barely 6 months between each birth and her falling pregnant again, had given her body no time to recover, and this one was the worst of all. He’d been King for 5 years now, he and his wife producing a child for every one of those years, but not the one the Kingdom needed, a son to carry on the line.

He knew he should refuse to make love to her, refuse every invitation to share her bed but he knew how badly she wanted to give him a son and he never could say no to her, especially when he knew he should.

And now she was dying.

A midwife rushes out, her apron stained with his wife’s blood and rushes down the corridor to fetch more supplies. The process continues for several hours before finally, the head nurse comes out to him.

“It’s another girl your majesty,” she says gravely.

Ethan nods solemnly, he knows how heartbroken his wife will be with this news.

“And my wife?”

“She lost a lot of blood Sir, this was by far her most difficult birth, I’m not entirely sure whether it, as well as all the others, haven’t damaged her organs permanently but I guess only time will tell.”“So she’ll be ok?”

“Yes, she should be, but Sir, if I may be so bold…”

“Go on.”“She really shouldn’t try to fall pregnant again, at least for a year or two, if ever. Her body’s had no time to recover from any of her pregnancies, she needs time to heal. Even if you do wait I’m not sure that birth will be any easier, it may well end up killing her.”“If you can convince her of that then I’d be in great debt to you.”“I’ll try, but she is desperate to give you a son, an heir.”“I know,” and he sighs, running a hand through his long, too long for a King, dark brown hair, “thank you for your efforts tonight nurse, tell her I’ll be in once she’s rested and the child fed.”“The Queen has named her Crystal.”“Crystal, beautiful. Well tell her I’ll be in once Crystal has been fed.”“Of course your majesty,” and the nurse curtsies and returns to tend to his wife.

Ethan exhales a breath of relief and after a moment of reflection turns and almost runs to his chambers. He flings open the door, ignoring his page who stammers inquiries after the Queen and hastily scribbles a note.

He seals it and thrusts it into the hands of his page, “tell Connor to find a messenger capable of making it to the outer villages, promise them anything they want, I need this to get to Krista Burns, it is of dire importance, I need her here immediately.”

It took every ounce of self respect Ethan had to write that note, he knew it wouldn’t be received well but he was past caring and he had no choice, he needed her. Krista had always been the answer to his prayers and he hoped she wouldn’t fail him this time, even if her coming back would be hell for him.The page nods and rushes off to find the King’s Hand and best friend, Connor White. Connor had been at Ethan’s side through everything, they’d been best friends their entire lives, now a quarter of a decade strong, but this, calling Krista back, would be the greatest test of that bond. Even though Connor had spent the past 6 years acting like he didn’t care, Ethan knew better, a heart as big as his doesn’t just stop caring overnight. He might fool the court but they were the only ones. He didn’t doubt the women Connor bought could see through his façade but being paid well, they didn’t care, but with Krista he’d have more than his fair share of feelings and emotions. They were in for a wild ride.

Connor is still sleeping when the King’s page bursts in, last night’s girl draped over his chest.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he curses as he sits up, the girl merely rolling away from him.

“The King bids you get this message to Krista Burns. He says it’s of dire importance and you should give the messenger anything they want.”

“Krista? What the hell does he want with her?” and the deep chasm in his heart opens a little further. It had been 6 years since it had appeared and while he had done his best to ignore it and fill it with meaningless encounters now Ethan was ripping it wide open.

“I’m not sure Sir, the King doesn’t tell me such matters, all he said was he needs her here.”

“Shit, how does he expect me to get someone all the way out there? It’ll take forever.”“He said to offer them whatever they want, he said it’s of dire importance the letter gets to Miss Burns.”“It’s Mrs. and I heard you the first time.”

“Whatever the case, the letter needs to get to Mrs. Burns.”“Ok, ok I’m going, give me a second,” and Connor untangles himself from the girl and his bedding, “I heard screaming last night, the Queen again?” he asks the Page.

“Yes Sir, another girl, she’s named this one Crystal I hear.”“Christ, he was hoping for a boy, put an end to all this nonsense.”“So were we all Sir.”

Having shrugged into a pair of pants and crumpled shirt Connor holds out his hand, “well give me this direly important letter then.”

He didn’t know why Ethan was writing to Krista but it can’t have been good, the months after she left were dark days for them both, and summoning her back to the Capital was sure to dredge up all those feelings and more.

The page hands it over.

“I don’t suppose you saw what he wrote?”

Connor supposed as Hand he was probably within his rights to open it and read what Ethan had written but he’d made a point not to get involved in Ethan and Krista’s relationship. Not that that had worked out particularly well for any of them but, and he hoped this wasn’t the case, what if Ethan was trying to rekindle the flame? After 5 daughters and 5 difficult births, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Ethan to lose patience. But Krista wouldn’t stand for that surely? Not after everything that had happened. But 6 years is a long time and he never did have a good grasp on what was going on in Krista’s head, but this time would be different. This time he was ready, ready for the force that is Krista Burns.

“No, Sir.”“Pity, well I suppose I should go, this damned messenger is going to take all day to find,” and he heads to the door.

“Er, Sir?” the pages asks and Connor whirls around.

“Yes?”

“What about the lady?”

“Pay her and see she leaves, and don’t be stingy, I’ve a reputation to uphold,” and he strides out in search of this damned messenger, Ethan was right, it was of dire importance that Krista get the letter.

Last night was a good night for Natalie Grey. She managed to snag a bed at the shelter and none of her stuff had been stolen while she slept. Not that she had much, but every little bit helped, especially when you were alone and on the streets. It was becoming increasingly hard to grab a bed at a shelter these days, the mob’s incursions into the Capital had forced many of the homeless who lived in the border forests into the city and the shelters were more crowded than ever. Things were starting to get bad. Not that life on the streets was ever good, but in the Capital, away from the mob, the only danger came from the homeless trying to steal whatever meager possessions you’d managed to acquire. Now, there were violent gangs roaming the streets and if you were lucky enough to escape a beating from them you still faced danger from the scouts taking girls to fill the Capital’s new brothels or ended up having to pay hefty tributes for unwittingly falling into an area under the ‘protection’ of one of the new slumlords that had risen to power.

Yes, life was getting tougher, but for the moment Natalie had all of her belongings and a roof over her head and that’s all she could ask for.

She wolfed down the breakfast the shelter provided and even managed to sneak an extra roll and apple in her pockets. At the very least she knew she wouldn’t be going hungry tonight.

She was in the middle of packing her things when the King’s Hand came in. She’d seen Connor White around town plenty of times, he was always at one pub or another, a harem of prostitutes following him, hoping he would pick them. She heard he paid well but she would never stoop so low as to sell herself. And, she wondered, why did such a good-looking guy need to pay for sex anyway? His tall, solid build, sandy blonde hair and deep blue eyes must have all the ladies at court salivating so why waste money on professionals?

He clears his throat loudly and everyone in the shelter stops.

“I’m in need of a messenger. I have an urgent letter that must at all costs get to the outer villages.”“What will you pay?” someone asks.

“What do you want?”

“To go to the outer villages? You couldn’t pay me enough,” and everyone else nods in agreement.

“Is there no one willing to go? You know who I am, you know I’ll be able to pay.”

Everyone ignores him and goes about their business. The Hand looks around in desperation.

“I’ll go,” Natalie pipes up.

“Who said that?” he asks, searching for her voice.

“I did,” and she raises her hand.

He comes over to her, “are you certain you can get there?”

“If you give me a horse and some money I can.”

“Is that all you want? A horse and some money?”

“That and I want to train to be a protector.”He considers her for a minute.

“I tell you what, this letter is going to Krista Burns, you get it to her and I’ll give you to her to train.”“Isn’t that up to her?”

“If it is why did you ask me?”

“Because you’re the Hand.”He puffs out his chest, “yes I am and I swear to you that if you give Krista Burns this and get her to return to the Capital then I promise to get her to train you.”

“Thank you Sir,” Natalie replies, her eyes lighting up, never had she been so happy before.

“But that only happens if you get her back here, do you hear me?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Be careful, but be fast, the King has important business with Mrs. Burns.”“It’s not a problem.”A few hours later Natalie leaves the Capital, the King’s letter safely tucked against her breast, a shiny stallion underneath her and the determination that she will not fail.