Matters of the Crown

[Ramona]

The Throne room, as was the norm, was crowded with its usual worshipers of the Spider Queen, the ones that wished to keep themselves sin high stature and well fed. Oh, how Ramona hated these fat slobbering little worms, but, they had their usages as well.

She stood, just now, draped in her formal royal gown of black and red satin with the spider-like grown of black and red jewels about her brow and waited, just inside the corridor that lead to the throne.

She no intentions of hearing any petty disputes just now, she had woken this morning with a sense of relaxation from a particularly good dream. She had been laying in a field of misty grasslands, the warmth of the dew covering her bare arms and face as the sun began to peek out over the Mountains. Every where about her there was the quiet still of the first morning light, though she could hear the birds singing their songs as they began their daily routine of finding seeds and worms that had not yet returned to the ground, doing much the same as she, just lazing about on the warm, wet ground. However, as always, reality poked its head into her dream as she heard the sounds of life returning to her castle and she, with regret, had to let the dream fade away to nothing and begin her day.

Now, as she peered from the shadows of her current lounging position against the smooth, cool surface of the corridor, she could see the many little Kinglets with their fat little wives attached about their arms, walking amongst one another, no doubt talking about how important they were. The males strutting about like pompous Peacocks, their wives like vultures, ready to start whatever gossip might in some, small way, disrupt the reputation of someone in higher rank than they.

“Ok Ramona, lets get this day started.” She whispered to herself and then stood fully and then gracefully entered her throne room, taking her seat on the black throne, letting her right hand run along the smooth oddly, comforting, arm.

At the first sight of their queen, every visitor to the court prostrated himself or herself on the floor before her, and it wasn’t until she was seated, that they would rise and begin their annoying wining about this or that.

She would endure this for quite some time before finally putting an end to it, that much, she knew was expected of her. But for now, she would sit, nod her head and try, with every ounce of what she had, to keep from killing each and every one of these weak, pathetic wanna-bes.

[Zaknafei Stalak]

Zaknafei stood in the niche next to the throne. It was his duty and station to protect the Queen. The black cloak he wore was meant to give him a spectral appearance, to symbolize that the Queen had a guardian with her at all times. Everyone knew who he was, and everyone knew how deadly he was.

What they didn't know, was the he was also, by virtue of his proximity to political affairs, cheif inquisitor and executioner. He stood in his silence, but he was listening and waiting. Waiting for the moment to strike.

This meeting was not for mundane political affairs. This was to be a public execution, an unexpected execution from Arathema's Scorpion.

Xin'drama Thakolzt, the First Baron of the Underground Drow City Ragsthtala, was plotting treason. He had recieved word only a few days before from Ragsthala's Scorpion, Tiadom Orobenzerrazennon. The Baron's household had already been obliterated by him. The Baron did not know, but know the final stroke was in Zak's hand, literally. His grip tightened on the black, jagged knife of the Scorpion.

Just a few more minutes, and the Queen would call mass. Everyone would gaather around the throne, and Zak would move. Like black lightning he would grasp Xin'drama, hold the knife to his throat and list his crimes and declare him an example. After that he would proceed to cut out his traitorous tongue, and perhaps any otehr organ he wished. The mages were looking for a heart, perhaps he could provide.

[Ramona]

Ramona listened to the complaints and urged her people to relax, that it was certain that they would grow accustomed to having the same amount of land as the next, so on and so forth. Finally, it was time, Ramona stood, every figure in the hall, save for Zak, as she had long ago, refused to let him play a role that would show any sort of weakness in front of their people, bowed low and did not rise again until she told them too.

She called them to gather about the throne. Like a wave of colored water, they all moved around the throne, each trying to be as close as was allowed and then, she waited for complete silence before continuing.

[Zaknafei Stalak]

Zak raised his head slightly. Mass has been called. The traitor stood right in the front, arrogant in his confidence. He thought he was hiding in plain sight. No one hides from the Spider Goddess.

Zak lept forward in a black flash. Quicker than many could erpceive he held the fat dark elf by the throat and lifted the disgusting noble off of his feet.

"Xin'drama Thkolzt, you are pronounced traitor to the crown for acts of conspiracy. Your shadowy deeds are laid bare for Arathema to see and she calls for your death and the deaths of your corrupted lot. Your sentence is a bloody and slow death at the hand of Arathema's Scorpion."

The jagged, flowing dagger whipped out of Zak's sleeve and lodged itself firmly in the underside of the scum's jaw and with a flick out came his traitorous tongue. Blood poured down over Zak's hand, but his grip grew only tighter on his throat.

[Ramona]

Ramona watched, almost detached as to what was transpiring right in front of her very own eyes, not more than a foot from her, had been the very one, she had been wanting to kill, but hadn’t known why. Right in front of her, as always he would be, was her Zaknafei, his fluid movements, the wonderful flick of his strong arm, and the hushed silence of the crowd about him, and now Ramona, as the throng of Kinglets and their wives, swarmed, excited babble beginning slowly as to the actions of the Queen’s personal guard.

Ramona let a smile of the darkest pleasure turn up the corners of her lips. Did these little pathetic Drow think that they could really, kill her? And she wondered, why it was, they would even want to, perhaps it was money, power in the thinking that if they were the one to destroy their Spiders Goddesses chosen Queen, that they too would become held aloft in some way. Did they truly not understand the powers behind the Spider Queen? The powers directed with and for her closest guardians?

So engrossed in what was in front of her, as was the rest of the throng, that no one noticed, the dark figure in the back ground, and with out the knowledge of the rest of the throne room, a small dart pierced the back of Ramona’s neck, and the last thing she saw, was Zak lifting the fat Kinglet from the ground. Then, just as suddenly as her eyes shut, she disappeared into the shadowy darkness, of one of the many passages leading out from the Throne room, gone, without notice.

[Zaknafei Stalak]

Blood poured from the helpless drow like water from a cave spring. Many of his organs had been removed and were thrown to the floor with a wet smack. He died slowly, and more or less painfully. Zak was good at his work.

He threw the mangled corpse to the ground. His cold glare nearly frosted the air under his hood. The Scorpion blade was wied of blood and resheathed up his sleeve. He heard a shout,
"The Queen!"

As fast as if he had already noticed Zak had lept over the empty throne and was already tracking the direction the Queen had been taken. He picked up on a fresh warmth trail and was off without a sound.

[Ramona]

Screams erupted from the throng as kinglets and their Queens, realized that their Spider Queen had been taken. They all just barely noticed the fleeing back of Zak, as he raced after the queen and her captor, down the dark shadowed hall and beyond.

There was much babble about how some of the little fat nobles would have gone after her, but thought that maybe it was best left to the professionals and that they should stay with their wives, just incase they were next. Couldn’t have that, now could they, poor little soft creatures, no, no. It would be much wiser to stay in the throne room until all was made clear by the remaining guards.

The shadowed assassin that had taken Ramona swept through the castle through many underground passages, obviously, this was something well planned, as he seemed to know where it was he was going, and he moved with not only amazing stealth, but speed as well, a well trained adversary for any who should come after him and his ‘prize.’

The whole treason plot had worked, the assassin’s had gained the trust of the fat little Kinglet, and persuaded him to take a stand, knowing he’d be killed and they would not have to share int eh profit, once it was all through.

Now, the assassin broke out into the streets, the queen hefted over his shoulder and remained shadowed until he reached the Web where he disappeared into the dark confines of the many twists and turns and dead ends, to finally reach his destination…