The Queen's Guard

    The man was kneeling shackled at my feet, Armeilia's sword at his throat. He was not dressed in the traditional garb of my men which is what ultimately led to his capture.      "I found this spying on us." Armelia spat as she looked at him with disdain.     "Good morning, Armelia." I replied. My second in command was known for her quick temper and distrust of anyone. That was why she was the best choice for her position as head of security. However, as the Queen I was tasked with diplomacy. "I'm sure you can remove your sword from this gentleman's throat so he might explain himself. After all, it does not appear that he will be able to move with so much iron tying him down."     Armelia removed her sword but she refrained from putting it away. She was ready to strike if necessary. The man looked at me, his eyes brazenly perusing my figure. My own temper rose and I suppressed the urge to strike him for looking at me at all. "Who are you?" I asked.      "My queen," He started causing me to shutter at the silkiness of his tone. "Your faithful servant is correct, I am a spy." Armelia tensed with the word servant and replaced her sword against his throat at the word spy. I motioned to her to bring down her sword once again so he could speak.     "How honest of you to admit that." I said. "Would you care to explain?"     "I am from the kindgom of Antoriani. A great tragedy has befallen us. Our women became gravely ill. The diseases was swift and unrelenting. It took every woman and daughter amongst us. Now we are only men and as such our population will not grow. I was sent to find women to bring back for our men. I have found that your kingdom has plenty." He had the audacity to smile at me, a disgustingly crooked smile that sent shivers down my spine.      "My kingdom does not exist to serve men." I hissed. "For the past century, our men and women have lived far apart from each other. The men do the manual labor and the women handle the finer aspects of life such as the finances, science and politics. I don't think the women you are looking for can be found here."     He turned to stare at Armelia. The look on his face was one I had never seen on a man before. It was animalistic. Our men kept their eyes down when they spoke to us. They didn't look at us as though we were a feast. "Personally, I have found exactly what I am looking for." He said quietly and I could sense Armelia's discomfort. I watched as the two held each other's gaze. An uneasy feeling, crept over me. This man had entered my kingdom without trying to evade capture. He did not try to blend in or learn our customs to report back. He waltzed in and was captured instantly. He declared himself a spy and blatantly told me his mission. He was acting like a man with nothing to lose.     "Perhaps, you should report back to your kingdom." I suggested. "Let them know they have nothing to gain here and their search should continue elsewhere."     He smiled again. "Unfortunately, my Queen, I have already reported that your kingdom holds everything we desire. The men are coming."     "Then we will fight." I said.     He laughed. "You can try to fight, it would be a terrible loss. We would hate to slaughter women since that is what we seek. Without women our kingdom has nothing to lose. What my men seek is so powerful they will not stop fighting until they have won or died."     "Dominating women, forcing us to serve you, ruin our bodies and suffer through child birth for you, that is what you seek? That is the power that will drive your men? What about the power of freedom that will drive my women?" I asked. His confidence was unsettling.     "Is that what you believe we seek?" He asked, I refused to respond. What else could he refer to, my ancestors told me how things used to be between the men and women of my kingdom before the revolution when women took charge. The stories had been passed down for generations, the pain the suffering, the humiliation.      "Forgive me, my Queen, but have you ever been touched by a man?" He asked and his tone was curious yet condescending. He knew he wa speaking about something that I clearly knew nothing about. "Kissed?" he asked. "Carressed? Licked?"     "I am neither a dessert nor a puppy. So no." I responded. "We do not interact with our men in such a way, nor do we desire to. Lock him up." I ordered Armelia. The attack was coming. I had to prepare for war.