The Queen stepped out onto the main deck. The General was standing there, facing the large river with his arms crossed. He was referred to as General Roarn.
“I presume that you have everything in place,” Nayara said as she stood next to him.
“Yes, my Queen,” he replied, not looking at her. “Ariah and Sabrina are also well in command of the other ships, which are just behind us.”
Nayara turned her head back to look. Ariah was on the right and Sabrina was on the left. They both were standing at the bow of their ships. There was a small glint in the Queen’s eye that almost looked as if she had cracked a small smile.
She turned around to face the water again. The river was large, almost three hundred feet wide. On her left, there was a small village built on the water. Large, sturdy logs floated on the water and small houses were made of the same wood. Few people walked about, the women and children were carrying water pots and the men hauled logs back and forth to a new structure that they were building. No one paid attention to the ships as this was a common river used for transportation.
As if it were planned, Nayara’s ship crashed through the first of many wooden structures of the small water town. Screams filled the air and the wooden floors that floated on the water shattered and dropped its occupants into the river. There were those unlucky few who were in the ship’s path and were instantly pulled under the water, unable to breathe.
It didn’t take long to turn the whole town into nothing but a wreck of wooden splinters. The other two ships also passed through, but the damage had already been done. Nayara walked to the edge of the deck and looked back. Those that survived were struggling to get to land.
“My Queen,” General Roarn said. “How close would you like to be to Oasi before we touch land?”
“We will approach their shoreline and invade their docks,” Nayara answered, walking back to the General. “My presence will be known. The city will have a short time to surrender before we set our attack. Those that join us will be transported to our hospitality camps where they may learn our ways until we rebuild our world.”
General Roarn nodded. “How long do you want us to wait before we set foot into the city?”
The Queen turned her head slowly and stared at the General. “You will know when the time is right. I will make that very clear when it is.”
General Roarn gave one small, slow nod. “Of course, my Queen. I apologize for questioning your tactics.”
“No matter,” said the Queen, looking out at the sunset again. “That isn’t what is important now.”
Roarn nodded again.
“When will we arrive at the city?” the Queen asked.
General Roarn cleared his throat before answering. “In just a few short days we expect to see the city.”
“Good. You better keep it that way. I may be patient, but I have been waiting too long for this,” the Queen warned. “Do not delay me.”
“Of course, my Queen,” he replied.
Nayara kept her stare outwards. She liked the General for who he was and what he could accomplish. He showed her his loyalty many years ago and proved to her to be faithful and dedicated. While the throne to this world would be her own, she knew that she needed those who she could trust by her side.
Nayara knew that her power had to be earned. She had to make it known to all that if anyone attempted to undermine and usurp her as Queen, they would be killed before they had a chance to face her. That meant that she needed her army everywhere so they could keep order once she established it.
After several minutes, Nayara walked away and headed back towards the kitchens. The smell of food reached her nose, but she wasn’t hungry. The Queen had another purpose for visiting the galley. She entered a smaller room where they washed the dishes. A man dropped a pot on the ground, spilling hot and scummy water all over the floor.
“Pick it up!” Nayara yelled at the man. He was the same man who had spilled the soup earlier when she walked through. Rightfully, he was sent to clean all the dishes for wasting food, and now she wanted to handle him personally. He was a smaller man.
“Hurry!” Nayara yelled again. The small man did as he was told, fumbling the pot as he grabbed it.
“I-I-I’m s-so sorry, my Queen,” the man said in a whimpering voice. He soaked up the water with a thick, torn rag.
“Sorry?” Nayara whispered. “You’re not sorry, you’re scared. I can see it in your eyes. The fear runs through your veins like lights that glow whenever I am near. You want nothing more than to be off of this ship, and as far as from me as possible.”
The man’s eyes widened and he stuttered as he spoke. “N-no, m-my Qu-Qu-Que-een. I w-wish n-nothing more th-than to s-serve y-y-you.”
Nayara stared coldly down at him. “You’re a pathetic liar,” she spat at him. “Do you believe I don’t know who you are? You have two children and a wife back in your town, which you have taken leadership of. You want to be back with them, not serving me.”
The man was silent, frozen with fear and was no longer sopping up the water which was dripping back onto the floor from the rag.
“Yes, I know,” she said in
