A MAN!

Suddenly, you spotted a larger than normal hand parting the fallowed by another pushing the now very cross-looking Atheas aside. Confused, you followed your generals’ angry eyes to the intruder, only to find yourself staring at the largest black beard you had ever seen.

You let out a loud shriek and quickly covered your still nude body by crossing your arms over your breasts and squeezing your legs together. Your shrieks awoke the other two amazons sleeping in your bed and were quick to join the chorus of your screams of terror. You and the girls then scrambled to cover yourselves, with Thea and Magia grabbing the red bed sheets, and you’re coiling yourself up in the nearly transparent curtains.

The male intruder, a hoplite, was more than a little taken aback by what he saw, which only insulted you more. Even in a man’s war camp, he should know better than to walk into a woman’s tent uninvited. However, there was another, more pressing reason why you were so upset at seeing the face of a strange man inside your tent.

“You dare enter the camp of the Amazons!?” you shouted, your face red with anger.

“Your highness,” he started while trying to avert his eyes, “If I might explain-”

“And then enter the Queen’s ten!?” you continued, ignoring his sniveling.

“Your highness, you have my deepest apolo-”

“While she is in a state of UNDRESS!!?”

“Again, I apologies for-”

“AND EXPECT TO WALK OUT ALIVE!!!?”

Your last few words grab the hoplite’s attention, and he quickly turned his head towards you with the look of a scared rabbit on his face. His fear is more than well-founded as he turns back just in time to see you grabbing a dagger from your dresser. You were about to hurl the slim blade into the man’s groin when Atheas stepped between you and stopped you mid-swing.

“Xira!” she shouted in her almost motherly tone, “Sheath that blade. This man does have a good reason for being in our camp,” she then glared over her shoulder and into the man’s eyes. “Though not for being in your tent.”

The hoplite huffed and again averted his gaze from your nude form, though you could tell that he was trying to peek at you and your sisters through the corner of his eyes.

Keeping a cold glare on the man, you grabbed your bathrobe and untangled yourself from the sheer curtains. “State your business,” you said through gritted teeth while slipping on your robe, “And make it quick before I order my amazons to cut out your liver.”

The hoplite gulped and gave you a quick bow, “Your Highness, I am sorry for the intrusion, but my lord has ordered me to search the neighboring camps for a group of servants that went missing last night. I was told that they were last spotted near your walls.”

You arched your brow and stole a glance from Magia. You knew who he was talking about and what had become of them, or at least the one that was lying in your bed right now. You had no idea that there were others, though you could guess that they met with the same fate.

Turning back to the hoplite, you noticed that he was eyeing Magia’s face, though not out of attraction but familiarity. At first, you were afraid that he had somehow recognized her. Most of her facial structure remained the same after all. If he did, the same couldn’t be said about Magia, who was glaring daggers at the man. “Keep staring,” she growled, “For my nude body will be the last thing you see.”

The hoplite’s face turned a little pale at the woman’s threat, then turned back to you. If he did have any suspicion as to who the amazon was, they had been theory quashed. You couldn’t blame him. The woman that came to you was a shy little mouse compared to the beautiful lion laying in your bed.

“Sir, I assure you,” you started with an angry tone, “If any of your servants came here, then they have met the same fate as you if you do not leave my tent this instant!”

Once again, the man gives you a quick bow, “Again, your highness, you have my humble-”

You don’t give him time to finish as you call out, “Guard!” A moment later, one of your honor guards appears behind the hoplite. “Escort this…man from my camp,” putting some extra spite on his gender.

Your guard then gives you a light bow, roughly grabs the hoplite by the shoulders, and pushing him towards the exit.

With the man removed from your site, you turned an angry gaze towards Atheas, who takes a few more steps into your tent. “What the fuck was HE doing here?” you growl at the older woman, “Couldn’t you have just delivered that message to me yourself.”

Atheas sighed and rolled her eyes, “Sorry, Xira, but he was quite insistent, and he did have an order from Rastus insisting that I at least allow one of the hoplites to search the camp. While under escort.”

“Oh, Rastus?” said Thea with a playful smile on her lips, “Not just Lord Marshal?”

You couldn’t help but smile as you once again watched Atheas’ face turn bright red, and like before, you couldn’t tell if she was angry or blushing. “Shouldn’t you be getting dressed, Thea?” she growled at your blond shield sister, “I’m fairly certain that we still have a war to fight.”

Thea rolled her before crawling out of bed, “Yes, Mother.”

As Thea got dressed, Magia crawled out from under the covers and looked around the room with a confused look on her face.

“Is there something wrong, sister?” Atheas asked the confused amazon.

Magia blinked and turned to Atheas, still confused. Then, after studying Atheas’ armor, the amazon quickly stood at attention and gave you both a light bow. “Sorry General, Your Highness, I’m just…how did I get here?”

Atheas arched her brow before looking down at you, and by the look on her face, you could tell that she couldn’t decide if she should be angry or impressed. “I take it that this is one of the servants?”

“What servants,” she replied before looking around the room.

You could hear Thea giggling behind you, “Oh, this should be good.”