Deathstalker 07 - Deathstalker Return

the beaten man in public. He needed Finn and his people to believe that he was beaten; that the King was no threat to them or their plans, so that they wouldn't see him coming until it was too late. But Meerah Puri persisted in addressing him, so he reluctantly sat up and paid attention.
    "Your Majesty, it is the express will of this House, and of the people, that the King needs a Queen. The people need a King and a Queen. So the honorable members of this House have, after… lengthy discussions, finally made a decision as to who should be your new wife and Queen."
    Douglasgave her a hard look. He couldn't believe they'd slipped this past him. "This is the first I've heard of this."
    "Yes, but you were… incommunicado for some time, Your Majesty."
    "So I was. Well, I see the necessity, I suppose. Who have you chosen this time?"
    There was a great blare of recorded trumpets, and beaming brother James came striding onto the floor of the House, on his arm a very beautiful and entirely voluptuous woman dressed in the very height of revealing fashion. She was extremely blonde, utterly devastating, and if she'd been any more curvaceous there would have been two of her.Douglas recognized her immediately. Treasure Mackenzie, lead actress and star of the Empire's most popular vid soap, The Quality.
    So, thoughtDouglas just a little cynically, they've gone for beauty rather than brains, this time. Probably just as well, really.
    Treasure and James came to a halt before the throne, andDouglas came down to greet them. Treasure curtsied very low, in a graceful rustle of silks, showing off more cleavage thanDouglas had seen in one place in his life. James actually blushed and looked away, and couldn't let go of her arm fast enough.Douglas bowed to Treasure, and reached out to take her tiny hand in his.
    "Please rise, my dear. That's better. You look delightful. This is your will, to be my Queen? You understand the responsibilities you will be taking on?"
    "Oh, yes, Your Majesty," said Treasure, in her trademark breathy voice. "I couldn't be happier about this. Are you… happy about this,Douglas ?"
    He smiled at her. He couldn't say no, in front of everyone. It would have been like disappointing a child.
    "A King must marry. I've always known that. And you seem to me… a perfect choice."
    "And I'm to be the best man," said James.
    "Of course," murmuredDouglas . "You always are, James." He looked across at Meerah Puri. "I approve the House's choice. Set a date for the Royal Wedding."
    And while the House cheered, and James applauded loudly, and Treasure beamed and dimpled becomingly,Douglas smiled and nodded and considered his position. He couldn't say no to a Royal Wedding—the people needed it too badly. They wanted to put the bad business of Lewis and Jesamine behind them, and they needed something good to look forward to, to take their minds off the coming Terror and the Paragons' continuing failure to find Owen. Treasure seemed a safe enough choice. Typical actress bimbo, mouthful of teeth and a bra full of talent, too dim to make political trouble. It would be a marriage in name only, but he was sure she knew that.
    He'd already given his heart to another, and nothing had happened to change that.
    Afterwards, Treasure Mackenzie looked in her mirror and smiled her true smile. It had all gone much better than she'd expected. But then, only a very few people present had known that she was also Frankie, Dark Mistress of the Hellfire Club. She laughed aloud. She couldn't wait to be Queen.

Chapter 3
    MY RED HEAVEN
    On the bridge of the hijacked yacht Hereward, Brett Random and Rose Constantine were doing their best to kill each other again. They stamped back and forth in the confined space, slamming their swords together with vicious strength, each trying to catch the other off guard. They circled slowly, breathing heavily, their eyes intent and focused, their faces wet with the sweat of their exertions. Rose was grinning, Brett was cold and grim. They sprang at each other again, cutting and blocking and reengaging almost too quickly to be followed. Rose had been the undoubted champion of the Logres Arena, never defeated in any of her many matches, but Brett was holding his own, and more. They'd been dueling nonstop for almost forty minutes now, and neither had managed even to touch the other—which was a whole new record.
    Rose had determined to teach Brett how to fight after witnessing his miserable performance against the