The Meeting with Queen Cielina of the Thessian Amazons. (After the night with Maricara.)

The following day comes, and the sounds of a heavy rainstorm can be heard. While your royal army, & the Phebian militia seek shelter from the pouring rain, you're busy preparing to head out to the Amazon encampment in the fishing village to the East. The Amazon spy, Maricara, has already sneaked her way out of the city, to inform Queen Cielina in advance, unknowing that Akina & her spies were following her. Carefully, you don your armor & weapons, then put on something suitable for such wet, soggy conditions. As you make your way out, you see Vessa waiting for you outside, along with a contingent of your royal guards. Vessa has a thick, hooded cloak over her mage robes, and she's put on a pair of soft leather boots, to help shield her feet from the rain. Quickly, you survey the contingent of royal guards, then get on your horse, and ride off.

You find getting to the ruined fishing village, where the Amazons are camped pretty rough, with heavily used trade roads becoming a muddy quagmire. The grassy flatlands isn't that easy to traverse either, as the heavy rains has turned some patches of it into a shallow marsh. At least with the Phebian kingdom so tiny, getting to the said village doesn't take too long under the soggy conditions. From the looks of it, though, it seems that the Amazon raiders in the distance are at least used to the heavy rains, if not the rain & the cold that comes with this part of Motania. As you get closer, a scout emerges from a nearby grove of trees, and runs over to you, saluting quickly.

"Report." You ask the scout.

"Your highness," the male scout tells you, "Akina and her spies are already in place, watching for any hidden dangers. The followed the Amazon spy, and told me to report that their queen now awaits your arrival."

"Very well," you tell the scout, "be ready to signal the army, if we are in trouble."

"Yes, your highness." The scout replies, saluting before running off.

Calmly, you & your contingent of troops, along with Vessa, ride towards the village. The Amazons had made short work of the extra wood made available to them, making the spiked barricades that now stands in front of you. A group of women stand behind them, while groups of archers stand up, and ready arrows in your direction. Even in the rainy conditions, you can pinpoint an officer, or other high-ranking official among the women. She has a metal helmet on, with feathers glued onto the top. She also has a sword by her side, flanked by spear-wielding soldiers.

"Halt!" The officer tells you. "If you are the King of Itheria, then please verify that you are the one! If not, then state your business!"

"Do you accept this as proof?" You tell the Amazon officer, removing the gauntlet from your right hand, showing the royal signet on your ring.

"Accepted!" The officer tells you, after using a scope to get a closer look at the ring. "Sisters, move the barricade! Be warned, men! Our Queen is ready for anything! Do not do anything foolish, or we will cut you down swiftly!"

You wait for the Amazon women to move the barricades off the road, allowing you passage. The officer then leads you to where the village chief once lived in, before being cut-down. It's one of the handful of buildings still intact, as they burned down the rest of them, and the Amazon women has it well guarded. Some of the other women take the reigns of your horses, as you dismount, and the others follow. The officer then leads you inside, where you can smell the lingering stench of dried blood, even though the women have tried hard to get it to dissipate, or to counteract it by burning sweet incense. You're led into where the village chief would've done business, which is where you find Queen Cielina.

Cielina is indeed strong, as she is strikingly beautiful. Full cascades of golden blonde hair run down her back, as her lilac purple eyes look up at you, as she stands to about the same height as you. You can see the strong muscles on her arms, and her bared tummy is toned and firm. A leather bikini-like top covers her full breasts, and a thin loincloth covers her sex. You catch just a glimpse of her full cleavage, before she wraps a leather cloak around her for warmth. She then picks up her crown from the desk, and puts it on her head. Cielina moves to get a good look at you, her tongue wetting her lips nice and slowly. You can see she has a pair of thigh-high leather boots on, laced at the front, and has low, broad heels. Then she returns to her side of the desk, and takes a seat.

"A pleasure to finally meet you, King Bryce of Itheria." Cielina tells you, letting out her sweet, sultry voice. "Please, have a seat."

You sit down across the table from her, with Vessa & your royal guards behind you. Some of Cielina's own elite troops, as well as Maricara, move to stand behind her. Cielina starts by trying to know as much about you as she can, letting out some of her own personal history. She is only a few years older than you, with the apparent wisdom & intelligence of a much older woman. Slowly, she moves on to the business at hand, reiterating her reason for coming so far north from her home islands, up into Motania.

"Rumors from our recent raids on other trade ships suggested that Motania is full of riches & things never heard of in our home islands." Cielina tells you. "My sisters did our best to keep the casualties to a minimum, but when they fought back, we had ****. We kept the armies of your allies at bay repeatedly, but Maricara, my dearly beloved spy, warned me that they were summoning their allies for help. She used her charm & wit, masquerading as a Phebian merchant for so long, and got word about you and your big army coming to Phebis's help. I knew we would find defending ourselves more difficult than before, so I hoped we would come to some sort of agreement, before any more blood is spilled."

"So why only summon me, Queen Cielina?" You ask her. "Is it not better to also summon the Phebian King, as well?"

"Given that we had slain some of his people," she tells you, "he would be too full of rage to think rationally. Besides, doesn't every Motanian king or empire have their share of rivals? My tribe has many rival Amazon tribes, too, so it is vital that we keep our numbers up. If you work with me & my sisters on a peaceful agreement, be it trade, or a volunteer group of men to go with my sisters, then we will be more than willing to leave this place."

"Just how many men does your sisters need?" You ask her.

"At least 100." She tells you. "They need to be strong both physically & mentally, if they are to give us suitable daughters. We will accept nothing less."

"What can you offer in return?" You ask her. "If my people are to provide you with men, then you & your sisters must be willing to provide something of equal value in return."

"We have resources & things that can only be found on our islands, and in the surrounding seas." Cielina tells you. "Spices to season your meats, and help increase the intimate drive of your people. Sugar canes that can be worked into substances to sweeten drinks & breads. We have a lagoon full of sea creatures that produce luxuries for peaceful traders. Finally, we can offer your people any extra men of our own that we can spare--men who are strong & smart, and can woo a woman. After all, we Amazons are passionate people."

As she talks to you about potential trade, you feel the warmth emanating from Vessa, as she walks up to whisper in your ear. You see Maricara do the same, for Cielina. Your eyes quickly scan the surroundings, wondering if Akina is hiding somewhere.

"Your highness," Vessa whispers into your ear, "there's something amiss with Cielina. The flesh & blood is warm, but the aura is different. M'lord, I don't believe this is the real Queen Cielina."