Morning just wasn?t a good time of day for the cowgirl Queen on any day. Des banged open the door to the Oracle building with a shapely hip and frowned at the cheerful newspaper boys hurrying on their errands back and forth in the bustling open room of the most popular paper in RhyDin.

The refreshment table was her first stop and that all important cup of coffee was soon steaming in her hand before she ever headed to her desk. Up high into the air went the hand with the mug in it as she spun to avoid a collision with one of her fellow reporters who was obviously way ahead of her and already on their way back out, no doubt to track down a lead on a story.

Groaning quietly she sank down into the chair at her desk and cautiously took a sip of the nectar of life to try and get herself more alert for the day ahead of her. Navy blue took a cursory glance at her desk and in doing so she caught sight of a note that hadn?t been there when she left the evening before.

She wasn?t a cat but she was certainly extremely curious which was one of the things that made her a good reporter. Immediately the mug hit the desk and the note was in her hands being ripped open to be read. A slender brow arched at the message within, part information and yet at the same time it seemed almost to be part warning. How strange, so she read it out loud to herself to see if maybe it she was getting it all wrong some how.

?Dear Des,

Dimitri's trial will be taking place and we would like a reporter to be present there to tell the public what the murderer has done. I have also heard that you interviewed this murderer about his past we would like to a copy of these notes so we may edit them for the oracle. We wouldn?t want anything to slip past us to make the public even more afraid of this man. We do hope you oblige and come to the jail soon please leave the notes to the warden there he will make sure. That I will get them, I would also like to state that if you do come to the court trial as a reporter you cannot be called as a witness.

Thank you,
Curian lead detective of the Rhydin watch.

p.s. keep that ice dragon of yours on a short leash or something might happen.?

Des didn?t have an ice dragon. She only had a friend that was one but why would they be threatening Icer was what she couldn?t figure out. Her notes were confidential information and she wasn?t giving them out either. They could just come and throw her in jail too as far as she was concerned and let them try because her husband wouldn?t let them she just bet.

The RhyDin Watch was getting in over their heads and they had just better watch out and leave her alone or this Curian person was right something was going to happen. Des was going to stomp a mud hole in someone or gut them. She wasn?t sure which one yet but there was going to be trouble.

Des picked up the latest note, read it, and smiled. ?The Detective wants to see Gavilean Starfare?s wife. That can be arranged I?m thinking. I?ll just answer this here little note in person I do believe. Oh Babe, We need to go to the jail. I?ll see you when I get back.?

Her Royal Majesty Queen Tera Starfare blew a kiss to her husband and headed out of The Oracle building to their home where she proceeded to dress in her gown and robes of state then collected her personal royal bodyguards and headed for the jail and her appointment with Detective Curian since he had been kind enough to request to see Mrs. Starfare after all.

He didn?t ask to see Des or Tera.

Two royal personal bodyguards in the formal uniform of the Kingdom of Westridge entered the jail and assessed the situation to ensure their Monarch would be safe there before motioning to their counterparts that were standing outside the door, one on either side of their Queen, waiting for the all clear signal from them.

At the pre-arranged signal one stepped forward and held the door open for Des. She regally swept into the jail and without looking to the left or the right moved straight to the desk and the person seated there. The Queen of Westridge left no room for doubt in this person?s mind that she was royalty and expected to be treated as such by them.

?Good day to ye. *We* are expected by Detective Curian. Please inform him that Mrs. Tera Starfare, The Queen of Westridge, has arrived and would like to speak with him regarding the note that he left for *Us*.?

The four bodyguards took up positions staggered around the cowgirl Queen even though she was fully armed to the teeth herself and could and would protect herself at the drop of a hat. Her being able to protect herself was not the point. The point was the Queen of Westridge was out in public and therefore the bodyguards were on duty and present.

If nothing else she was wearing a small kingdom?s treasury worth of jewels on her person that any thief would have loved to have in their possession. The reporter was not aiming for subtle here.

The detective wanted a statement and she was making one. Hopefully he would get it loud and clear without it needing to be at the point of a weapon before this was all said and done. But if need be she had several of those with her too.

Des couldn?t help but laugh as she caught her first sight of the detective that had been leaving her notes. ?Oh no ya don?t.? She shook her head slowly as a smile curved into place. ?I am not coming into that office alone with ya. I remember you even if ya don?t remember me from the Inn that night that the dragons were all fightin? and you were there. You kissed me and I bit you for it. You and a team of wild horses couldn?t get me alone in a room with you Darlin?. You just bring your paper and whatever you like to write with right on out here with ya and we can talk in front of God and everybody or we ain?t gonna talk.?

That being said she finally took a look at the room she was standing in and located a bench that was large enough to accommodate her gown and robes of state without them being crushed. Gracefully she moved to it and seated herself. The High Elven warriors assigned guard duty to the Queen rearranged themselves around her while she made herself comfortable until Curian decided what he was going to do now.

The elven king of Westridge busts open the door and enters, eyes glaring.

"How about one pissed off husband?"

He strode up to Curian and looked into his eyes. "Listen to me really well. Next time you put your face anywhere near my wife's I'm going to ripe it right off of you. I hope that has sunk into your little mind.

"Now, the next time you wish to talk to my wife you're going to do it though me. I hope I've made myself really clear. She doesn't need to be wasting her time with one like you. So you can take that ridiculous detective badge and stick up your place where the sun don't shine."

He started to leave, then turned, "Oh, you might want to know that Des and I are linked by a certain magic. Whatever she is experiencing, I know about it immediately. I know what you've tried to do. Try it again and I'll do more than rip your ugly face off."

A blast of magic went out and splintered the desk in the room. Gavilean left the office and met his wife outside. He smiled, "Come Des, you'll not be dealing with him anymore unless it's through me."

He gave Des a kiss. "Let's be off to lunch, darling."

The moment her husband entered the jail Des jumped to her feet and a happy smile appeared. She loved him more than anything and was surprised but glad to see him as they had a standing arrangement to have lunch together every day and it was nearing lunchtime now.

She was started toward him to give him a hug and kiss like usual when he turned toward Curian?s office instead of heading to greet her. Well that was fine she thought since the detective had just told her she could bring a guard with her and not go in alone, she was going into the office too now.

The tone of her husband?s voice was her first clue that it would be best if she didn?t take another step forward. The words her husband began to speak were her second clue that it would be even better if she perhaps stayed right where she was standing at that very moment.

When face ripping off was mentioned she leaned slightly to get a view inside the office to see if there was going to be some blood shed right then and there because never in the entire time she had known Gavilean had she ever heard that tone of voice and those kind of words coming from those oh-so-scrumptious to kiss lips.

The desk splintering had her instinctively throwing up her arms to protect her face and all four bodyguards moving in symmetrical motion to place themselves around their Queen and the room in a protective diamond shaped formation.

As their King approached the guard standing in front of Des moved aside for him and she raced into his arms, navy gaze raking him from head to toe to make sure that he was unharmed before flinging herself into his arms and kissing him soundly.

It didn?t seem possible that he would be so furious but there was no doubt that he was indeed one very ticked off King and she was very ready to leave the jail at his suggestion before he changed his mind and decided just a desk was not enough to satisfy venting his anger.

The guards all four fell into step behind them as Her Majesty very properly placed her hand on His Majesty?s offered arm and they stepped out of the jail and into the streets of RhyDin together.