After my new citizens were able to settle in and become fully capable once more, it was time to finish this war. We had the space and the resources to house the remaining people needing rescue. As such, we created an attack plan that would sweep the three remaining settlements in one move. Though it would take three weeks to reach the first target, the next two were only a few hours' walk from each other.
Subtlety was almost out the window. We only stealthed the active guards, then moved swiftly to remove the Headman and sleeping guards, giving them no time to act. This, however, alerted the hidden troops in the grass, but they were no match for my soldiers. The same events almost perfectly happened in each village we assaulted. None of my people were so much as scratched, and all Lizardwomen, and eggs were rescued along with the former slaves.
We still destroyed the villages, leaving nothing of value for any remaining Lizardmen that might still live somewhere. It was truly ridiculous how easy it was to win this war, and I knew for certain now that my ancient ancestor would have easily won against them if she hadn't been deathly ill at the time.
The journey back to the Castle was slow, but merry. A few stray Lizardmen did attack us while we traveled, but they were less than harmless. When my people were safe behind the Castle walls, a group of merely twenty-seven Lizardmen attempted to assault the Castle. I leapt off the walls, and they froze, realizing who, and more accurately what I was. The Queen had arrived. "Spare..." Was all the first one managed to say before I had split him down the middle from his crown to his navel. Reduced to twenty-six, they all looked in horror.
"You filth enlaved your own females, as well as my people. Never once did you offer mercy, never once did you think your actions were wrong. I saved my people, and yours. What manner of filth are you to try and destroy the savior of your own people?! I will protect ALL MY PEOPLE!!!!" My blade was a blur after that, and not one of them took more than three steps before they met their end. I stood panting after my attack, having moved at such a speed took my breath, even if nothing else.
I looked far out to sea then and noticed a speck on the horizon. A ship, there was nothing else it could be besides a ship.
My brain pulsed in pain. His face, smug, irritating. Rex, my Brother, my twin, the one person I should have been able to trust implicitly. HE WOULD PAY!!!
Rage boiling, I moved to my makeshift pier, with Lyssrah calling out to me from behind, and my Husband ordering the gates open, and soldiers to attend me. I reached the pier, only to realize I would have several hours to wait for the ship, in which I would stew and brood. At the end of the pier, I paced, my rage practically visible.
The ship grew ever larger as time progressed. Sun's setting, and rising followed as I paced. Now the Ship's cignat pennant was flying, and another pulse of pain hit my head. My Mother's face, Corrona, my Mother's name. That was her pennant. Even if my brother had managed to usurp my position, only SHE could fly that pennant. The Crest was clear as day, and it would have been burned had she died. Then I saw, Rex, bound and gagged on the center mast, and behind him, standing stately, was my mother in all her radiant glory. The head of our merchant house, and my younger sister, I now realized, stood beside her. What a fool Rex had been; even were I dead, my sister would inherit, not him.
Lyssrah came to my side, followed quickly by my husband. My rage having subsided at the sight I beheld, they knew it was safe to comfort me further. Agonizingly slowly, the ship came close, and soldiers prepared to tie her off. My heart raced in joy and fear. Would she accept my family? I could only hope. Finally, the ship docked, and the gangplank was lowered.
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Though my Mother remained standing stately, my sister Tsarina wasn't well behaved at all, she slipped past my Mother's quick grasp, and practically flew off the ship and slammed into my arms as I embraced her in a fierce hug. "Big Sis! You're alive, you look amazing, is that a crown?!" I laughed and squeezed her tighter.
"Welcome home, Princess." My husband said.
Tsarina giggled. "I'm not a Princess, I'm just Tsarina!"
Mother had made her way down the gangplank in time to hear Lyssrah's response. "You are the Queensss sssissster, ssso your are a Prinsssesss now, asss your mother issss the Queen Mother. I, too, welcome you home, Sssissster!"
"Excuse me, my dear, what do you mean by calling my younger daughter sister? Am I to understand that you count yourself as my oldest daughter's wife?"
"Quite so, Queen Mother, as I myself have the honor of calling myself her husband, and King Consort. Make no mistake, Queen Mother, SHE is Queen, I am merely her husband, and that literally can't be changed; our lives literally depend on each other. It's one of the magics of this land; if a Lizardfolk meets their bond, they must remain in contact with each other, or else they die. Our beloved Lyssrah was bonded to the Queen at first sight. Likewise, the bond affected me, binding the three of us together. I do hope you will be pleased to learn that both my wives are expecting, since that too can't be changed, not that I would want to."
Mother looked shocked, then a smile began to creep upon her face. "Great Grandmother told me how her Great Grandmother insisted that her Mother was a Princess, from a Queendom, and that's why we hold that Women inherit, not Men. Is this that land? Even still, how did she claim the throne?!"
I chuckled at that and held my massive sword with one hand, twirling it around like it was a feather. Mother's eyes widened at the sight. "Seaman, come hold my blade for a moment." One of her sailors, happy to see me, came to do as I had bid. He took the blade with reverence and nearly dropped it on the pier as the weight was far in excess of what he had expected. With a quick snatch, I kept the man from toppling over, and then, using my other hand, I reclaimed my blade and sheathed it on my back. "The blade isn't light, I, as the recognized Queen, am strong, and the battle garments increase even that strength. This land loves the women of our bloodline, and empowers us in a way I don't understand." I then raised my hand, and caused a pillar of water to arc over the ship and enter the water on the far side of the pier. "Nothing can beat me in my land. Our Ancient Ancestor's Daughter was forced to flee, as the then Queen was deathly ill, and couldn't defend her or the people. That Princess, doubtless, thought she didn't inherit the power, but that power only exists here, so she'd have had no way of knowing that the crown was hers for the taking."
Rex's eyes had bulged at the sight of me playing with my greatsword, and nearly popped out of his skull at the sight of my water pillar. He frantically squirmed on the mast mumbline in panic through his gag. Mother looked at him, and knew the only result for his actions, not only had he attempted to kill his twin sister, but that very sister is a Queen. With a snap of her fingers, the Seamen knew her order without it being spoken. Rex has committed high treason, even if he hadn't known it, and the betrayal of family was severe enough to warrant the death penalty anyway.
"General Jenna, please fetch the executioner." Jenna bowed and ran off to follow my order. When she returned, with the Executioner and her ax, I ordered Rex's execution to be held at the end of the pier, as I didn't want him touching our homeland. Tsarina looked on in horrified curiosity as our brother's head was lopped off and rolled into the sea. Then I picked up his corpse, and lightly, for me, tossed him into the sea. He landed some hundred feet out into the waves, shocking the entire crew of the ship, as well as my Mother and Sister. "With that unpleasantness at an end, perhaps we should adjourn to the Castle, I'm sure the crew would prefer to eat fresh meat after such a long voyage."
What followed was a feast and a discussion about starting a branch of the merchant group on the island. Tsarina was named heir of the merchant group, as I was going to be busy with our Homeland. Lyssrah's egg actually hatched while Mother was in the Castle, though my own belly, though swollen, was nowhere near ready to release its occupant by the time Mother set sail once more. Tsarina, however, was left with me, so she could set up the branch house on her own, aside from any assistance she could glean from me, as part of her training. My memories, with Tsarina's help, did return, and Mother had left a copy of the trade laws we had been using, so I could begin using them as a template for creating a legal code of my own. Shallarah was restored, and on the map now, even if still wounded, the wounds could now begin to heal.