"Whoa!" cried Sir Dillard, looking at the design of the overgrown crossbow and handing it to Lieutenant-General Pollex. "That's powerful enough to bore a hole through the wall big enough for a man to crawl through!"

"Maybe more or less, since Athex's walls are so thick, the weight on the destroyed area might cause further breaches in the wall, or perhaps collapse the whole thing like dominos! I told you Mathex would probably design an extremely powerful weapon," said Pollex, handing the design to Jacog.

"The Minotaur Army will probably arrive here tomorrow afternoon, so we don't have much time," said Pothax, sitting down beside Sir Dillard.

"Would you like a drink Sire? You must be thirsty after five days of hard riding? I'm surprised the stableboys haven't reported your horse dead!" asked Gith.

"Thanks Gith, I'll have some Stornium wine," replied Pothax, slumping back into the comfortable velvet couch. Gith walked to the door and dispatched a servant to fetch the wine.

"Could we build some of these giant crossbows?" asked Willium, taking the design from Gisoni and showing it to Victoria.

"Of course," said Jacog. "We might have to cut down every large tree within a five mile radius of Athex if you want lots of them, but we can build 'em."

"Good, I believe these could be a useful weapon," said Willium. "I-"

"We have another problem," interrupted Gisoni. "Nebonex, you're going to have to make a speech to my minotaurs. I've had some desertions and tonnes of complaints from my men about fighting their kinsmen and comrades. I too, have to agree that I don't want to fight my fellow countrymen."

"You'll have to remind them what they're fighting for, why, and who their real adversary is," remarked Rades from his seat in the corner of the room. Nebonex had become friends with the lieutenant and the Prince had insisted that Rades be present at the meetings.

"We have another problem," said Victoria. "We have only two hundred forty thousand soldiers, minotaurs and knights included. It will be a couple more days before the first half of the Stornium Army arrives and another two weeks before the Kinian Army arrives. Even more so before the rest of the Stornium Army and Blackaxe's army arrive," she explained. "Gisoni, you said the Minotaur Army has a little over six hundred thousand soldier. We're short soldier! They could easily overwhelm us with a major attack with assault towers if they could build enough!"

"What's an assault tower?" asked Rades, who hadn't been trained in siege warfare.

"It's a large wooden structure which is rolled up beside the wall of the city or castle. Soldiers inside then lower a small drawbridge, and attack the walls," explained Nebonex patiently. "What if we hired mercenaries," he suggested, turning to Victoria.

"They'd have to have pretty high wages," shrugged Victoria.

"How much?" asked Willium.

"Seven to eight silver a day."

"That's outrageous," the King cried.

"Master," said Gith, setting the bottle of Stornium wine down beside Pothax. "Perhaps you would like something to drink, to calm your nerves? Sorry for the delay, Pothax, I should have went myself, the servant got lost in the cellar looking for a particular vintage."

"Thanks Gith," replied Pothax, pouring himself a drink.

"I think, I'll try some of that," said King Willium, getting up, and walking over to pour himself a drink.

Dillard scratched at his scar and wondered what Willium would think if someone suggested prohibition on alcohol. He shrugged and decided he didn't want to find out.

"Willium, you and Victoria work on hiring mercenaries. Sir Dillard and Rades can get the Arthian and Colnic armies to chop down trees and start building giant crossbows. Jacog you can help me compose a speech," ordered Nebonex, standing up. "Gisoni, Pollex, go start a vigorous training program. I want those soldiers whipped into shape by the time I make my speech this afternoon."

"Fellow kinsmen," roared Nebonex. "You may have heard rumours about the announcement I will now make. Kobalix, my evil uncle is a traitor to the Empire. It is he who hired the assassins who attacked us during the parade and killed my father. I've learned that he also had an assassin attack my mother, the Empress. Kobalix wants to kill my whole family so he will become Emporer. Will we let him?" bellowed the Prince. By now the ten thousand minotaurs had turned into an angry mob. Minotaurs were known for their loyalty to the Royalty and the thought of a traitor to the Throne was enough to thoroughly enrage them.

"Let's assassinate Kobalix, see if he likes it!"

"A sword in the ribs always changes a mans loyalty!"

"Kill Kobalix!" one minotaur shouted and the mob took up the chant.

"Kobalix has now tricked my mother into declaring war on Athex. I need time to convince my mother that Kobalix tricked her. Will you fight for that time?" shouted Nebonex, barely audible over the crowd.

"Yes," roared the angry mob of minotaurs.

"Will you die for that time?"

"Yes!"

"My kinsmen," shouted Nebonex, tears rolling down his cheeks, unashamed. "Today, my father and I are proud of your infinite devotion." The minotaurs roared proudly in reply, the sound deafening onlookers like Rades and Gisoni.

"Great speech," Jacog congratulated once his hearing returned.

"How are we going to find two hundred thousand mercenaries in such a short time?" cried Willium in despair.

"If you'll be quiet, I'll tell you," said Victoria, growing impatiently and tired of listening to the Kings whining.

Willium fell silent.

Victoria sighed. "Willium, did you know that your city has the highest amount of scoundrels in all of the western kingdoms?" asked Victoria. "So much, that it's an organization led by a self proclaimed Crime King?"

"You aren't suggesting we-?"

"Yes, I am!"

"But-"

"Shut up, Willium! It's well past time you learned how large the crime is in your precious city is," interrupted Victoria, turning on a heel and walking down the hall. She stopped and turned around. "Are you coming?"

"No one will recognize you. They've never seen you before! But if you insist on an uniform you can, though these people usually don't hold much respect for authority."

"Can I help?" asked Elexenia from behind Victoria.

The archeress jumped and whirled. "No!" she snapped. "Don't you know it's impolite to sneak up on people?"

"Wynic does it all the time," pouted Elex.

Victoria was reminded of that evening at the spring when Wynic surprised her, but shook her head. "Wynic's an assassin. You're a Queen, there's a big difference," explained Victoria.

"So, can I come with you? Please?" begged Elexenia.

"No."

"She'll follow us anyway, Victoria. We might as well take her with us," whispered Willium.

Victoria sighed. "Oh, all right."

"How do I look?" asked Willium, entering in his uniform.

"Fat," said Elexenia bluntly.

"She's right, Willium, you do need to lose some weight," said Victoria honestly. Willium glared at her and sucked in his gut in response.

Elexenia laughed in hysterics, her oak staff whipping back and forth and nearly clonked Victoria and Willium both on the head.

"We wish to speak with the King," said Victoria, pushing a huge cutthroat into the bar. The cutthroat looked at Victoria, Elexenia (particularly Elexenia) and Willium, and laughed.

"Up the stairs."

"Why did he laugh?" asked Elexenia, following Victoria as she pushed through the crowd towards the stairs at the rear of the shabby tavern.

"Never mind!" growled Victoria, thinking that bringing Elexenia along wasn't all bad. If people wanted to think they were prostitutes, so be it if it got them in. She climbed hastily up the rickety staircase.

"I wish you hadn't pushed him, Victoria. I'm getting too old to fight people so much more bigger than me," said Willium, glancing back at the huge cutthroat with a shudder.

"Bigger than you?" asked Elex, looking pointedly at Willium's waist.

"Shush Elex," snapped Victoria.

"Halt."

Looking up at the two huge guards that had appeared out of alcoves in front of her, Victoria craned her neck to look at the one who was wearing a shabby purple sash, assuming him to be the one in charge.

Why do you seek to speak with his Highness?" asked the one with the sash, confirming Victoria's guess.

"We want to hire two hundred thousand cutthroats," blurted Willium.

"Shut up!" Victoria glared.

"Let them in, ye morons! I'd like to know who'd like to hire that much men and who would have that much money," shouted a sharp voice from behind the huge Arthian Oak door at the top of the stairs. The two guards stepped into the notches in the walls and disappeared into the shadows.

Victoria opened the huge door and entered cautiously. The room was paneled along the walls, ceiling and floor with expensive Arthian Maple. A crimson carpet led up to a Throne, where the most handsome man Victoria had ever seen sat with the left side of his face to them.

The man was just under six feet tall, with muscles bulging through his tunic. His hair was pitch black, and his face was nobly shaped with a deep brown tan. "My name is Waytorn, you've apparently heard of me and my station: King of the Underworld," he said, turning to face Victoria.

The archeress nearly retched. Waytorn's right side of his face was burned with scars all over the side of his face. The combination of his beautiful left side with fair complexion and his horribly scarred right side was enough to make Victoria feel sick. Willium grimaced, but stoically kept his shock hidden. Elexenia just stared.

The King of Cutthroats smiled bitterly. "My face is the price and punishment for killing the former King," he explained. "Why do you wish to hire me and my men?"

"I've been ordered by King Willium to hire mercenaries to help defend Athex against the Minotaurs. I decided to go to you, since your power probably exceeds King Willium's," replied Victoria, her face was pale and she tried hard not to stare.

Willium started to protest, but Waytorn interrupted him.

"That much is true. When Hitlot was slain, there became an opening for the Crime Lord of Kinian. One cutthroat claimed the throne, but I later overpowered him, and later went on to expand into the territories of Colnic, Arthian and Stornium. If I may, I'll congratulate King Willium on Athex," he smiled at the chubby King, recognizing him. "Your city holds well over several million people, the largest city in the world, a metropolis. It's been very profitable to me over the years, and I've gained quite an army of cutthroats, assassins, and other miscellaneous killers. Unfortunately I have only a hundred thousand men here," he said regretfully.

"Don't matter. How about we pay you ten silver for each minotaur killed, that doesn't include the small minotaur army that is already here," Victoria smiled.

"Of course," laughed Waytorn. "I'd go for it, but I'm afraid I can't spare any men, a rival minotaur Crime Lord is massing his men in a cove north of here, and I fear an attack."

"Perhaps we can help each other out then?" suggested Victoria. "What's the name of your rival?"

"Kobalix."