The Fall of Patterland (Chapters 5-8)

Chapter 5


The temple bells rang out in mourning across the city and flags were lowered to half-mast to mark the death of King Timothy. However, his state funeral was a quiet affair for such a long-lived royal. The blizzard that descended on Paterburg prevented no more than a hundred people from attending the service. Brother Victor presided over the sombre affair several days after Ursula had left his keep and informed the court of King Timothy’s untimely demise. Intrigue had lurched into motion the moment of the announcement, but Ursula had been quick to present various documents signed by the deceased king, supporting her bid for coronation. However, the most influential evidence was her possession of the King Timothy’s ring. Never before had a monarch been given their royal emblem – whether crown, amulet, or ring – before being sworn in. At the news of this break with protocol, combined with the fact that it was a woman who was seeking a throne, chaos had erupted in Paterburg’s elite circles.

Now taller, more robust, Ursula seemed more imposing and regal to those she encountered. Few of them had known her well before the death of King Timothy, but she was beginning to make a name for herself in the court. King William had not seen too much of her, but he had found it disconcerting that she seemed almost as tall as him. Ursula had told him that she’d been investing in better shoes, and getting treatment from the palace healers and herbalists. Eventually, the passionate sex had won him over and mollified any worries William had over his wife’s odd growth. It seemed harmless enough, and more befitting the queen he was seeing in her. She would be able to bear him strong warrior sons, he hoped.

Many houses had protested King Timothy’s last wishes, accusing him of senility or an illness-addled mind. Others had immediately jockeyed to become Ursula’s most valued allies, hoping to gain position from her rise by aiding her bid for the newly emptied throne. Perhaps most disruptive were the houses now divided against themselves. Many husbands were quietly at odds with their wives or daughters over the matter of a female monarch. Many of the ladies of the court were thrilled at the idea of a queen, at the potential break with so many centuries of kings. The idea made them hope that their own claims to titles and holdings could perhaps be made legitimate. Ambition reigned, and Ursula began to gather allies to her cause – highborn houses, power-hungry duchesses, neglected sisters and countesses.

Brother Victor, in the days after the funeral, announced that he refused to proceed over the coronation of a woman. King William had flown into a rage, accusing the dour clergyman of treason and pompous legalism. Brother Victor had accused King William of apostasy. King James had found the sudden instability in the court a shocking thing. For most of his young reign, there had been a stable court. Only the occasional conflict with neighbouring kingdoms had caused much distress in the royal halls. He had always found Brother Victor’s sanctimonious attitude annoying, and so he’d laid low in this latest quarrels, choosing to retreat to his hunting lodge in warmer southern woodlands rather than deal with the unpleasant politics in Paterburg. In his absence, Ursula ratcheted up her machinations.

King Timothy’s inner circle of advisors was quietly released, and most of his servants put under review, to be replaced with ones of Ursula’s choosing. Few nobles paid heed to the comings and goings of the servants and other various lowborn at court. Timothy’s personal guardsmen were placed under Olga’s authority, and replaced with a growing number of scrappy young women she had recruited from the dangerous alleys and slums, to join the growing ranks of an all-female royal guard in training. Ylva moved into King Timothy’s keep library and took with her many of her Vulvic priestesses. Here she was able to more freely practice various rituals, surrounded by less prying eyes. Before Ursula’s coronation day came, much had already been done to consolidate the hold on King Timothy’s keep, and to increase her influence in the royal palace. She told King William that she would soon be able to sit beside him and the two of them would become effective rulers of Patterland, able to overrule King James in decisions. King William found this idea pleasing. He considered the possibility that his future sons would become the sole kings of Patterland, that his seed would be the start of a new dynasty. Ursula seduced him, feeding these ideas with talk of expansion, of future conquest of their southwest neighbour – the Kearan Protectorate.

“You could be the start of a glorious empire William. Together we could make Patterland a great power, and usher in a new age of civilization. Bur first we must do away with these old customs that hold us back, these stuffy ideas that limit the freedom of the people and suppress the energies of Patterland,” she said. Often, she would whisper such thoughts into his head after lovemaking, or when he was tired and fed-up with the protests of troublesome barons and dukes.

The day of Ursula’s coronation came, and King James returned from the south to attend the ceremony. In lieu of Brother Victor, Ursula had insisted that her lady-in-waiting and solemn friend Ylva officiate the ceremony. She did not call Ylva a priestess, but when Ylva arrived, she was wearing long white robes, a shimmering amulet of silver, and her hair had been styled to cascade over her shoulders in dark golden brown curling locks. She seemed to glow with radiance and she held in her hand a long white staff covered with strange inscriptions in a language no one recognized. Ursula entered, wearing an opulent gown, a long train flowing behind her such that several servants had to follow in her wake to make sure it stayed off the floor. Rose petals fell from the ceiling and those in attendance wondered where she had gotten such flowers in the depths of such a miserable winter. The court musicians played a moving celebratory piece of music, and a choir of women sang a haunting song about the majesty of a queen.

King William watched his vividly beautiful wife proceed up the aisle toward the royal dais and the three thrones. He felt uneasy to see how opulent and majestic her coronation ceremony was turning out to be. It was more impressive than their wedding, or even his coronation. Leave it to a woman to go overboard with such an event, he thought.

Ylva stood close to the edge of the dais and looked down at Lady Ursula, who then turned to face the court and all those in attendance. Ylva spoke loudly and clearly, “People of Patterland, I here present unto you Queen Ursula, your undoubted Queen: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?”

At once many of the women, guards and maidens in the throne room cried out, “Goddess Save Queen Ursula!” Several of the aristocratic men could be seen looking about and muttering to one another, but a sudden burst of trumpets drowned out any further discussion. King James leaned forward in his seat and was whispering into the ear of one of his advisors, a concerned look on their faces.

Ylva began to read out many of the oaths normal for the royal coronation, though William felt as though she had altered or removed some of the words. Many of the oaths regarding the Elemental Pantheon had been left out, and many of the pronouns changed from the masculine to a neutral term, or feminine. She also weaved in several statements in a language King William did not recognize. Perhaps one of the rural dialects, he thought.

“It is done,” Ylva declared. Ursula then stepped up to the dais and approached the black walnut throne of that had been King Timothy’s until so recently.

Ylva recited new words as Ursula’s expression shifted to one of exultation, stepping closer to the throne.

Stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth
the seat and state of royal and imperial dignity,
which is this day delivered unto you,
in the Name and by the Authority of the Goddess,
and by the hands of us
the Daughters of the Mother of Wombs.
And the Empress of the Sky and Seas,
whose priestesses we are, and the stewardesses of her will,
establish your Throne in dominion,
that it may stand fast for evermore.

The trumpets sounded again and Ursula sat down upon the throne. She lowered her fit heart-shaped butt into it and wiggled her hips side to side as she made herself comfortable. She rested her manicured hands lightly over the armrests and crossed her legs. King William watched as the throne began to shift and warp, like a living thing, remaking itself for its new owner. The walnut wood pulsed and turned a golden colour. He realized it was becoming solid gleaming gold, inlaid with plush red silk cushions and adorned with large gems. Ursula’s throne was larger than either King James’ or King William’s. It loomed at the far right side of the dais now, making both his grey granite throne and King James’ white marble throne look common and dull in comparison. The soft flames of the chandeliers in the throne room flickered and danced and something seemed to palpably change in the air. A new regime was now in place.

One by one the various dukes, barons, counts, and other aristocrats of Patterland began to approach Queen Ursula’s throne and kneel before her to swear homage to her as part of the new triumvirate. Queen Ursula took on a regal look, her expression growing arrogant and detached as each subject came before her. King William knew this was her greatest dream come-true and he watched with amusement. King James’ expression alternated between boredom and annoyance as so many men and women knelt before the new queen. When at last it had ended, the throne room thundered, “Long live Queen Ursula! May the Queen live forever!”

Ursula felt power rushing through her, and she looked out upon the masses assembled and smiled wide. She felt it again, the transfer of authority. She was now a full queen of this land and she could feel the power of the ring and the throne mingling with her own sorceries and spells. She felt her hips swell slightly, the throne shifting to accommodate her feminine curves. She felt her height shift as well, rising to equal her peers, the two kings.

As the ceremony began to wrap up and everyone headed to dinner, King James slipped off to his own keep with a number of wizened royal advisors, magi, and clerics. King William could tell James was unhappy, but this did not concern him. As the wine flowed and the dancing and entertainments began, William took solace in the beauty and regal nature of his wife and queen. King James could be childish all he wished. He was young and impetuous, and probably jealous, William thought.

But that night as the royal couple retired to bed, King William was shocked to discover one surprising change in circumstances: His wife was now as tall as him. She had surprised him by standing up gracefully after the chambermaids had left the room, then walking over to embrace him. She looked him straight in the eyes, confident and beautiful.

“Ursula,” he said, his mind racing with the buzz of wine and mead. “You’ve grown somehow. You’re as tall as me!”

Ursula smiled wide, her full lips so kissable. “But of course, my love. I am your equal now, just as we wanted. I am a queen. Just as the throne and ring have shaped themselves to my nature, so have I shaped myself to my new position, my new place.”

King William stepped back drunkenly as Queen Ursula followed him. She laughed gently and pressed a kiss on his lips, easily meeting his mouth now that the two of them were the same height. She moaned against him and cupped his crotch in her hands. William’s arguments and concerns melted and he struggled to focus on his thoughts as Ursula led him off to bed. That night, she’d stayed on top to ride him, and he had little desire to object. His moans could be heard echoing through the stones of the keep.

Chapter 6


Ursula was not a passive queen. The day after her coronation she began to issue decrees and pass new laws. King James, despite leaving early for his keep on the night of the coronation ceremony, had indulged in his own bout of drinking. No one expected to see the queen for several days after the celebrations, but the very next day she appeared in the throne room well before noon. King William remained in bed, recovering from his hangover and one of King James’ servants reported that he was in much the same condition. Queen Ursula was not worried, and admitted a number of petitioners. When one of King James’ advisors had objected to admitting subjects to the throne room without the full assembly of the triumvirate, she had asked him what the law stipulated.

“I do not believe there is a hard or fast law regarding this…your majesty,” he said.

Ursula waved her hand dismissively. “Then why are you troubling me with your words? Who are you anyway?” She asked, looking down at the man imperiously.

“Ian of Darrowdown,” he replied. “I serve King James as a personal advisor.” Ian looked from side to side at assembly that now filled the hall. He was one of only two or three men in a throne room filled with women who bustled about attending to various ministries and unknown tasks. King William’s servants and guards had largely been replaced before Ursula had taken King Timothy’s throne. She had done the same in his old keep. Only King James’ entourage of patriarchal advisors and grizzled army veterans remained, making up less than a third of the palatial staff. This morning, most of those men remained in King James’ keep. Ian did not much care for alcohol and had come to the throne room out of curiosity this morning, when he heard that the queen had appeared.

“Well, Ian,” Ursula said. “Your master isn’t here, and I don’t want your advice. Leave my presence at once.”

Ian lowered his eyes. Queen Ursula’s tone had left no room for debate. He backed up and exited the throne room. Before long three other men filtered out into the hall, along with a small group of women. Two large female guards swung the doors closed and sealed off the throne room from the men and the others who had been expelled.

“This is a bad thing. Someone must notify the kings of Queen Ursula’s behaviour,” said Ian, speaking to the other men. Two were guards and the third appeared to be a scribe. The scribe shrugged and only one of the guards seemed to be listening to Ian.

“I am not sure it is wise to speak of this way about her majesty,” the scribe said, before walking away down the hall. Ian turned and headed for King James’ keep, muttering about the incompetence of courtiers and palace servants.

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King William woke up slowly, the winter light filtering across his bedding. He rubbed his eyes and wondered what time it was. He’d slept off most of his hangover, but had contented himself to stay in his chambers for the last several days while he wrote letters about his new queen to various neighbouring realms, boasting of the new potential of royal alliances and dynastic vigour. Ursula had come and gone, and each time had brought him new spirits or wines, and they had engaged in glorious sex. Her new size and confidence was an aphrodisiac to them both. The best part about her coronation was that now he could leave much of the work to her. Ursula filled him in on whether anything important had happened, and he was able to have a small vacation in his keep. Ursula had assured him that things were running smoothly.

But he’d had enough downtime. He decided it was time for some fresh-air and statecraft. King William rose from his bed and opened the window to look out over Paterburg. The air was bracing, and he breathed in deeply. But then he noticed something odd. The high temple of the Elemental Pantheon looked different. The Endless Flame of the Fire God, Mardox, was extinguished. Never in William’s life had that flame not burned brightly over the temple. In fact, the entire temple complex looked dark and quiet, as though it had been abandoned. The city seemed different, muffled by snow.

King William turned back inside and closed the window. He rang a small bell and servants appeared to help him dress before he headed down into the common area of the palace. Something was very wrong. Walking through the long wide halls, King William did not see a single man. Only women passed him in the halls, most of them beautiful, and many wearing the outfits of soldiers, others dressed in white robes like Ylva’s, still more wore dark mysterious robes like a magus. Spread throughout were the usual ubiquitous courtesans who smiled at him coyly. Where were all the men? William had warned Ursula about this imbalance, but now he wondered if perhaps he’d let her go a little too far with her preference for female courtiers and servants.

King William approached the royal door to the throne room, the special small entrance reserved for the kings that allowed them to enter directly onto the royal dais rather than the massive opulent doors the rest of the public used. Standing in front of the door was a slim stern-faced young woman. He recognized her from one of the villages they’d toured in the summer, but could not remember her name. She wore her long brown hair up in a bun. As King William approached, the woman did not step aside as he expected. This shocked him. “Excuse me,” he said.

The woman looked up at him casually. “Oh, you wish to enter King William?”

King William’s eyes narrowed. “Of course I do, girl. What do you take me for, a random commoner? I am your king!”

The woman curtseyed, lowering her eyes finally. “I am sorry your highness, please enter,” she said. The woman stepped aside and King William pushed by her and opened the door.

As he entered, he could see that King James’ throne was empty. Queen Ursula sat in her golden throne to the right, listening to two women in long dresses who were pointing at papers and talking passionately about some subject. They grew quiet as he stepped onto the dais and stood beside his grey granite throne. He felt like an intruder in his own court.

Ursula looked up. “Oh, hello William. How was your afternoon?”

“Afternoon?” William asked. He’d thought it was still morning. How long had he slept in today?

“Yes love. It’s nearly four,” Ursula said. The two women standing near her throne smiled in amusement.

“I see. The then day is nearly done.”

“Yes, the petitioners have been dealt with. I was just wrapping some final things up with some of my advisors,” she nodded.

William’s eyes turned to the papers in the hands of the women. “That is a legal document. Legislation,” he said. “This is not something traditionally done without the full triumvirate assembled Ursula.”

Ursula tilted her head. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t really realize,” she said.

“But you’ve seen me and King James issue law and decrees before,” William countered. “What laws have you passed?”

“Well, which one? There’ve been…a few.” Ursula crossed her legs.

King William sat down in his throne, sighing. “A few? Well, tell me what that one is,” he said, pointing to the papers.

Ursula hesitated. “It stipulates that women may inherit a title without any need for marriage or noble status.”

“What? Such a law would cause chaos in the realm within a generation!” King William felt a sweat pass over his back. Perhaps he should not have lazed about so much.

“How do you know?” Ursula replied. “Is it not only fair? What if we were have a daughter William?”

“This is beside the point. It’s tradition, and a stabilizing law. It’s only natural.”

“Natural? I think I should know what is natural.” Ursula’s tone shifted. Her voice was filled with imperious certainty, something William had found cute until now. Now, vested with real power, her tone and attitude was annoying, almost intimidating.

He controlled his anger. “What else have you done Ursula?”

She beckoned to a nearby scribe, a pretty bright-faced blonde with a ponytail, who quickly approached the dais, carrying a folder of legal documents covered in the hardened wax of a royal seal. William took the folder and began to look through at the first sheet. It was titled: “Concerning the education of young boys.” King William’s brow furrowed and he flipped the sheet over and looked at the next, which was titled, “Concerning the supposed religion of the realm.”

King William’s eyes widened. These were not mere petty decrees. He picked up the sheet to read it closer, but Ursula stood up and interrupted his thoughts. “We don’t have time for you to catch up on everything that’s been going on William. I need to eat dinner and the servants are preparing to clean up the throne room for the day,” she said. “Don’t you trust me? I’ve been advising you for months and you’ve never questioned my judgement.”

King William felt conflicted. He did not want to upset his wife, but he felt like he was losing control of the affairs of state. Where was King James anyway?

“I’m sorry my dear. I just feel like things are getting away on me. You must slow down and consult with the triumvirate,” he explained, putting the file to the side. The blonde scribe swept it up possessively as he ran his fingers through his hair and touched his crown. It was a reassuring feel.

Ursula stepped toward his throne, looking down at him. “It’s alright. I can take care of things for you,” she said. Her voice had become soothing. Women were bustling about the throne room now and the large doors at the far side opened to admit three women in black and purple robes, led by Helga. She lowered her hood to reveal her vibrant red hair.

“You sent for me?” Helga said, as she approached the dais.

“Yes,” Ursula said, without breaking her gaze, continuing to look down at King William. “I am just in the process of insuring my husband that the realm is not falling apart.”

Helga nodded sagely, her green eyes glittering as she took in the scene. The king sat slouched in his blocky grey throne. Helga could see that a sort of charm was clearly at work, affecting his ability to focus. Queen Ursula stood over him regally, wearing beautiful robes of silk and other expensive imported cloths.

Helga spoke carefully. “Your majesty King William, I can assure you things are going well in the palace and realm. You need only approve your royal wife’s laws and they shall become entrenched with the power of two of the three thrones.” She reached out and the scribe handed her the folder of papers. Quietly, Helga added her own spell work to the papers.

King William felt like it was all too much. Where were his advisors? There were women in robes and dresses everywhere and perfume filled the air. He felt isolated and out-numbered. “Fine. Let’s get this over with and begin anew in the morning,” he finally said.

Helga smiled wide and lifted a large royal seal with the same shape as the face of Queen Ursula’s royal ring. It was coated in red wax, ready to press. King William took it and the scribe held out a page for him. He could feel the eyes of the women on him as they stood around his throne.

He pressed the seal down into the page as a shout came from the back of the throne room. “Wait!” King James screamed, his voice echoing down the spacious hall.

“No!!!” James’ scream was frantic, almost panicked.

The seal began to glow, imbued with sorcery, as King William impressed his approval into the legislation. Ursula began to laugh suddenly, an almost hysterical giddy laugh that William had never heard before. He didn’t understand…

The room seemed to shift around King William. He felt woozy, as suddenly everything in the room seemed to draw away from him in a slow pulse. His throne seemed to grow bigger around him, and the women seemed to loom larger from his perspective. Ursula was still laughing softly as Helga took the seal back from William. It seemed larger in his hands. Something was very wrong. He could hear King James shouting and arguing with someone in the background, but he couldn’t see him past the row of women standing around his throne. Busty curves and shimmering silks blocked his view. Creamy smooth skin and sheer fabrics created a barrier of femininity on the dais.

King William rose to his feet, trying to see his fellow king. But as he stood, he felt shock rip through him. He was barely up to Ursula’s shoulder! Ursula looked down at him with a wide smile on her lips. “Well done my husband!” She spoke with a patronizing tone. “I am glad you trust in my judgment. All of the laws I passed are now enshrined in the constitution through the royal seal and a good dose of Vulvic ritual.”

“Ursula,” King William gasped, looking around. “What has happened to me?” All the women seemed to be bigger. Ursula was not the only one who was now looking down at him. Helga was smiling wide, now able to look him straight in the eyes.

“Oh it’s nothing. Just as I fit my new role by growing, you appear to be adapting to your new role according to the new laws.”

“What laws? I barely looked at them,” William sputtered.

Ursula waved her hand dismissively and stepped closer to him. Her deep cleavage was level with his eyes and he found himself staring into her soft pliant breasts before she guided his gaze upward with her fingertips under his chin. “Well for instance, boys are no longer to be educated in the same way as girls,” she said.

“Well that doesn’t sound so bad,” William mused. “But what exactly will be the difference?”

“Oh this is tedious talk,” Ursula said. She stroked his hair gently and brushed her lips against his forehead. He could feel her fingering his crown casually.

William blinked and tried to focus. His cock was getting hard. “But I’ve shrunk! Are you saying my role is less than it was, less than yours?”

James finally burst up the dais and interrupted their discussion. “Get away from me you harpies!” He shouted, elbowing his way past a robust brunette guard and pushing up the stairs.

King William blinked as several of the women drew back and walked off to attend to other matters, as if nothing had happened. Several armour-clad men were standing close to James. He had brought in at least a dozen guards and a number of other advisors to support him. Ursula turned to face King James, with her short husband standing beside her. William’s crown slid down his forehead a bit, loose on his scalp. He pushed it back absently with his hand.

“William, what have you done?” James said, pointing at him. “You’ve been locked away in your keep for days. My men have been in at odds with this…this siren of yours. Do you have any idea of what has been going on in the palace, the city? I can’t believe you put your seal on her decrees!”

“You will not talk to me as though I were not here!” Queen Ursula’s voice boomed across the cavernous throne room, imperious, feminine, and powerful. Everyone paused to look at the royal dais. William instinctively cowered at the mighty sound of his wife’s anger.

James’ mouth opened, but Ursula cut him off before he could speak. “I am a Queen, not some common girl you can just insult. You dare speak of me negatively in my throne room, before my subjects? You’re acting like a little boy, not a king.”

She stood at least as tall as King James, and the two of them were facing each other on the royal dais, each standing beside their thrones. William tried to interject. “Dear, maybe…”

But Ursula didn’t even notice him. King James hesitated and then deliberately sat in his throne. He spoke angrily and his cheeks were flushed. No one had spoken to him like this since he was a child. “I will do as I please. I’m a king myself, and have been on the throne longer than you, woman. I’m not going anywhere. You can’t be trusted.”

James’ gaze turned scornfully at King William. “I thought marriage would be good for you, but you’ve become a whipped man William. Wake up and see what is happening here,” he sneered.

Ursula looked down at her husband, still close at her side. “Remember what we talked about my love,” she said softly, her voice different as she pulled his gaze back to her eyes. “Our dynasty. Our plans.”

James scoffed. “Your plans are more like it. William, don’t listen to her.”

But William was not listening to King James anymore, as he gazed up into Ursula’s blue eyes. All he wanted to do was kiss her, and bury his face in her chest and make sweet deep love to her. His libido surged and he thought of their dynasty, of a new era where his children would rule over Patterland.

“Yes, that’s right. Everything will work out for the best my precious king, my royal husband,” Ursula said. She gazed into his eyes with a mysterious intensity. “Now go to our chambers and wait for me. I will join you soon. You don’t need this kind of unpleasantness.”

King William hesitated, and then he nodded. He didn’t even glance at King James as he went to the exit behind the thrones, slipping out. As he left, he heard King James begin to shout and rant. What an awful man, he thought. Ursula really was right. James was more like a boy than a king. William wandered back to his room, passing servants. He noticed they all seemed taller to him now. Even the furniture was bigger slightly. He sat down on a chair and sighed in relief, pushing his loose crown back into place once more. He’d ask Ursula to reverse this size change in the morning. He was sure she never meant for this to be part of the outcome of her laws. She always admired his physique and strength. The cold winter sun was already setting, and only a dim twilight came through the window. As he waited, he felt curiously drowsy. William struggled to keep his eyes open, but he felt so very weary. His eyelids began to droop, and soon he was fast asleep.

Chapter 7

King James sat at a large solid maple table in a room deep beneath his keep. It was a chamber that had once served as a cellar, which he had ordered to be partially cleared and converted to a meeting space. Around the table was seated a dozen or so men, who James had gathered. It was late at night, although there was no way to tell this far underground. Casks of wine and spirits lined one wall, and numerous candles, lamps, and torches lit the dark stonework. Dried food hung from the ceiling in hooks from nets, and barrels of various preserves and salted foods had been pushed to the corners.

“I have called this council to order in secret because we are in a state of emergency,” said the young king. “Patterland itself is at threat, and if we continue with our present course, we may lose everything we have known. This is effect a council of war, but none of you must breathe a word of it to anyone without prior approval.”

James looked around at the various men, making eye contact with each as they nodded solemnly.

“You know me. I have been a patriot and loyal servant of the realm since I was a boy. My father, the Duke of Yterhold, was slain in battle with shore pirates when I was 12. I know what it means to sacrifice for Patterland. So when I tell you that suffering may lie ahead, I do not do so idly. The pretender known as Queen Ursula means to take control of the triumvirate, I am certain. We must stop her, because it is becoming increasingly apparent that she is a witch. My personal magus, Teorax has informed me of the sorceries at work in the palace – more than he or his brethren have been able to track.”

Teorax sat next to King James, and was stroking his pointed black goatee as he listened. He nodded and said, “It is true. I am increasingly uncertain whether Merlivax actually died of natural causes, let alone King Timothy. Many of my fellow magi have been squeezed out of the royal libraries and chambers where we once freely operated. Queen Ursula has granted her lady-in-waiting Helga greater and greater authority over the affairs of sorcery in Patterland.”

“But what of the new court magus Zeridda?” An older man with a greying beard asked.

“He is completely under the sway of Helga, Ursula’s redheaded lady. We have not heard from Zeridda in over a week. When last we had contact with him, it was to threaten censure. He was teaching her the skills of the magi. He has since disappeared,” said Teorax. His face looked regretful.

Brother Victor nodded sagely, from his place on the other side of King James. “It is true. Much of the same fate has fallen to the royal clergy. Queen Ursula’s lady-in-waiting, called Ylva, has corrupted many of the younger acolytes, and seized control of much of the religious institutions in the realm. The Endless Flame of the Fire God, Mardox, mysteriously went out just after Ursula’s coronation. People are saying that the Elemental Pantheon has abandoned Patterland. Growing numbers of women are chattering about some infidel faith known as Vulvism.”

“None of this can be coincidence,” said King James. “The guards have also seen tremendous changes. A woman named Olga now commands at least several hundred female guards within the palace walls alone. We are under siege. It is obvious that Queen Ursula means to take control of the realm.”

A heavily moustached baron at the far end of the table suddenly spoke up. “But where is King William in all of this? She is his wife! Why doesn’t he put her in place? Why is he not at this meeting?”

Grumbling broke out around the table, with the various men talking to each other. James slapped his hand down on the wood repeatedly, trying to bring order back to the room. “People, King William is lost! I have seen it with my own eyes. He is too deeply in love with Ursula, whether by spell or by natural causes – perhaps both – he is useless to us. He is responsible for the recent radical changes to the law. He gave his seal to her constitutional changes, one undoubtedly enhanced with witchcraft. We cannot count on his aid.”

Teorax adjusted his robes. “Is this for certain King James? What you suggest is a far darker potential than even I had realized.”

“What do you mean?” Asked Brother Victor.

“If she is able to sway King William, to control him. We may not have much time before she attempts to take his crown.”

King James shrugged. “It might as well be hers already, from what I have observed. William does not even stand up to her in any real sense. He is a pale shadow of his former self. Why, he is shorter than her now.”

Teorax’s eyes widened. “This is not the same. If she should take his crown, she will unify the power over law with the power over the physical realm, military, and leadership. The two united in one aspect, with her abilities…I don’t even know what she could do. She seems to e growing in power, and we must make sure she is stopped, or at least slowed.”

“If what you are saying is true, my amulet could be in her plans as well, with the power over sorcery, faith, and heart or thought,” King James said.

“Very likely. We have seen little to show that she lacks any ambition.”

“King William has not been seen in days,” said Brother Victor. “Ursula has been attempting to pass new laws, but each has been vetoed by King James, thankfully. We must somehow find a way to get to King William, to make him understand. He cannot mean to betray Patterland, to betray all of the men in the realm. He has always been a good king. We must find a way to reach him.”

------


“Wake up Billy,” a voice said. King William looked at the snake. Did it just talk? Was he dreaming?

“Billy, wake up,” the snake whispered, flicking its tongue. William backed up a step, into a giant mushroom. He spun around and it transformed into a gigantic set of red lips. “Wake up…”

King William opened his eyes slowly, and saw his wife staring down at him. He blinked and rubbed his eyes with a hand. “Ursula? What time is it? I was having the strangest dream.”

Ursula smiled slowly. “It’s time to wake up William.”

He sat up in bed. How did he get here? The last thing he remembered was sitting down in the far chair. He’d had dreams of psychedelic sex and weird mutterings and music. Parts of it had seemed real, and other parts deeply strange. He was completely naked under the cool sheets.

Ursula sat on the edge of the bed in a golden royal gown. She looked down at her nails for a moment. “I need your help in the throne room,” she said.

King William slid to the edge of the bed and stood up. He blinked. Everything seemed off, seemed bigger. He remembered that he’d shrunk, but not this much. Ursula stood up. He suppressed a small scream. She towered over him even more than he remembered. He barely came up to his wife’s upper rib cage. Her breasts jutted out above his head, covered in golden satin, the bumps of her nipples pushing against the thin fabric from inside. She looked down at him, and pointed to the nightstand. “Don’t forget your crown little king,” she smiled.

King William picked up his crown and put it on his head, but it was too big. It slid down to his eyes and rested on the bridge of his nose and the back of his neck. Ursula laughed at him. “Aww, that’s so cute!” she said.

“Here, let me help you.” Ursula adjusted the crown so that it said at an awkward angle, just over his eyebrows and against his neck. “That will have to do.”

“How come the crown isn’t adjusting to my new size?” King William said. “Maybe it knows I will return to my regular height.”

Ursula tossed her long black hair, flipping it over her shoulder as she looked down at him. “Maybe,” she said. “I’m sure this is only temporary. King James has attacked our authority as a couple. We need to put him in place.”

“But how come you’re so tall?”

Ursula shrugged. “Don’t you like how I look my king?”

King William swallowed. “Well, of course. You are so beautiful.” He felt his cock harden as he gazed at her curves. The shiny glaze of her dress hid little. The fabric stretched across her hips and bust, draping smooth over her legs.

“Mmm…I feel amazing William. We are going to do so much together. Come on, get dressed. Let’s go to the throne room.”

King William pulled on his clothes. All of his garments were loose on his smaller frame. His robes and belt hung down, making him appear weaker and less authoritative. He suddenly realized his beard was also gone. Had he shaved? He seemed to remember some dream of rabbits nibbling away his beard while he lay in a pile of whipped cream. He looked at himself in the mirror. He hadn’t seen himself clean-shaven in over a decade. He looked much younger and less like a patriarch. “Ursula, did you shave me while I was asleep?” he asked.

Ursula hesitated. “Yes, is that okay? I thought it would look good. You look so cute all shaven and clean cut.”

She came and stood beside him in the mirror, tugging on his shirt and adjusting it to fit a bit better. “We may need to get you some new clothes though, unless you want to sit in the throne room naked.” She laughed at her own words. “Wouldn’t that be a sight?”

“You should have asked me dear. I look young. It will take months to get my beard back to how it was. Do you really think it looks better this way?” He tried to ignore her joke about being naked.

“Much better,” Ursula said. She stroked his hair softly. “Come on, let’s go.”

When they got to the throne room, William discovered that Ursula had moved her chair to the centre spot, and had switched it with his own. His granite throne now sat to the right, where King Timothy’s had been. Ursula’s golden throne loomed taller and more ornate than either King James or King William’s stone thrones. It looked almost like they were chairs for advisors, a right-hand and left-hand seat.

He wanted to say something about it, but a crowd of women, all waiting to speak to Ursula about various matters, surrounded her. He was slowly squeezed to the side, ignored, as they spoke with the Queen. King James entered, followed by a much smaller entourage of drably dressed men. He scowled at William as he took a seat in his marble throne.

Ursula waved most of the various women away and turned to face James. King William stood slightly behind her, short and feeling out of place. “Hello James. Are you ready for the day’s business?”

She sat down and William went to his own throne. He sat down, but found it awkwardly large. If he sat down with his back to the backrest, his feet couldn’t quite touch the floor. The idea of this was humiliating, so he sat closer to the edge, his hands on the armrests. His crown fell down across his eyes, and he pushed it back up into place.

King James responded, “I am, although I am surprised to see King William in attendance. Did you finally let him out of his cage?”

Ursula chuckled. “You insult my husband, a member of the triumvirate?”

“He is nothing more than a cuck, a whipped man, lost to the wiles of a succubus,” James said slowly. “So yes, I do.”

Queen Ursula glowered over at King James. King William felt anger filling his chest. “You insolent little bastard. If your father could hear you now.”

“Don’t dare speak of my father!” James shouted. Emotion filled his voice. “Don’t you see what is happening here William? Open your eyes man!”

King William scoffed. “I see a jealous man, who cannot find a wife as beautiful and talented as mine.”

James gestured to his entourage. Teorax stepped forward in crimson robes. He stroked his goatee and leaned down to King James and whispered into his ear.

Ursula sighed. “The first order of business is a law concerning you King James,” she said. “That is why my husband is present. It has come to my attention that you have been holding a secret council of government in your keep with seditious members of the old clergy and a collection of rogue magi and aristocrats. This is against the law, as you well know. It was even before I came to power.”

King James’ face turned red with rage. “Who? Who told you this? Who is the spy!?” He hissed. “What I do in my keep with my friends is my business.”

“Everything that happens in this realm is my business,” Queen Ursula said. “I propose that you be put on trial for a violation of the triumvirate code.”

“Outrageous!” King James exclaimed. “You don’t have the authority.”

“The law says that if two of the sitting monarchs agree, it can be done,” Ursula replied. Her voice was calm and measured.

“William, don’t do this. You have the crown, which means you have the say over questions of leadership. Don’t betray us!”

Ursula leaned forward, blocking William’s view of James with her sensuous curves. “Shut up,” she said. “I have had enough of your prattle. William knows what is right. He will support me.”

James kept talking. “William, don’t listen to her. Wake up.”

William clutched his head. This was all too much. He couldn’t think straight. He kept having flashbacks to his dreams, to the sweet strange place of his sleep. He didn’t know what to do. It was all so confusing. His wife was so beautiful, yet some distant part of him felt like James was not completely the enemy.

Ursula stood up. “That is enough! I will show you who is in charge here. William, give me your crown. I will take care of this. I will make the problem go away. You don’t need this. You don’t need to worry anymore. We’ll go back to bed tonight and enjoy the fruits of our love.”

King James reached for his crown, instinctively.

King James stood out of his throne. “No! You fool. Don’t! You will be the man who will be responsible for the fall of Patterland! Children will know your name for generations as the Betrayer.”

Ursula blocked him, and several large female guards climbed the dais to stand between James and William.

“Give it to me William. Give it to your Queen, your Wife, the future Mother of your children. I will deal with this.”

William’s crown fell down in front of his eyes again. It was just too big for his head now. He took it off and held it in his hands. Ursula came closer, reaching out for the golden crown.

William hesitated. King James watched in horror, as a hungry eager expression appeared on Ursula’s face, her hands inches from her husband’s crown, the symbol and manifestation of all his authority. The moment seemed to hang, along with all Patterland, in the balance.

Chapter 8


King William placed his crown into Queen Ursula’s waiting hands, handing it over to her. Ursula lifted the golden crown to her face and looked at it for a moment, a grin spreading across her lips. “At long last,” she moaned.

King James, in his frantic desperation, finally broke through the guard women holding him back and made a lunge for the crown. “No, someone stop her!” He shrieked. But Ursula twisted away from him and put the crown onto her head, pushing it down into the thick black locks of her hair.

That was when the earth began to shake.

A rumble could be heard, a rising sound as the bones of Patterland groaned. Ursula began to laugh deeply, a manic evil tone. The crown shimmered and warped, adapting itself to her, melding to Queen Ursula’s witchy will. It changed to pale silver metal, with long elegant spikes that shimmered with diamonds – it was a cruel looking feminine circlet that yet sat elegantly upon her head. The crown gone from his possession, King William shuddered in sinking discomfort. He could feel his royal authority flowing out of him, being sucked out of him. His chair, his solid granite throne, cracked and broke in the earthquake. It began to dissolve like sand as several windows in the throne room shattered. Ursula’s laughter filled the hall, unnatural and multilayered, supernatural and sinister. The chandeliers swayed in the trembling quake. Wispy particles flowed from the back and armrests of William’s throne, flying through the air in shimmering streams, and melding into Ursula’s golden throne, adding to it. Her throne grew more ornate and imposing by the second.

William felt like a veil was dropping from his mind, as his throne dissolved. The room seemed to rise and loom around him, expanding and moving outward. He was shrinking again, changing to reflect his new role, his new position in the realm.

“Noooo!” He wailed in sudden realization at what he had done. The last of his throne flowed into Ursula’s golden seat of power. It was gone, vanished.

He had no throne.

A dark ribbon of hazy light burst out of his chest, running a path to his crown, which was glowing atop Ursula’s head. The draining feeling deep within him flowed into the stream and up to his crown, and into Ursula. Her eyes seemed to glow a silvery blue as she absorbed her husband’s power, his status, his authority, and his position. He shrank and diminished before her, looking increasingly wimpy and boyish, pathetic and small. The level of his head sinking lower than her tits, her ribs…lower and lower. Ursula leaned her head back and balled her hands into fists. She moaned in ecstasy as she began to grow.

William struggled in horror as Ursula began to rise before him, growing larger and taller, thicker and bustier. Her body bulged and swelled, as she rose higher and thicker, stretching out her tight dress. “Yessss! The power! I can feel it,” she groaned, her voice echoing loudly through the throne room, feminine and rich. She loomed higher as he shrivelled on the dais, as she absorbed his height, strength, and status. The sound of Queen Ursula’s moaning was orgasmic and passionate. She stood at least 6’6” by the time she stopped growing, towering over the room. Her golden dress had torn in various places, ripping at seams and stretching over her curves. William stood in shock, not quite eye-level with his wife’s navel. A distinct whiff of pussy teased his senses. William realized that Ursula was extremely aroused. For the first time ever, this intimidated him.

During all this King James had turned and run, his entourage and fled for the exits, fleeing the scene of Queen Ursula’s victory. William found himself alone with his wife and her numerous bossy assistants and friends. Ursula slowly looked down at her husband, who was now not quite up to her belly button.

“Where….where did my throne go?” He asked meekly, trying to understand just how big of a mistake he’d made. Hoping he was still dreaming one of his recent vivid dreams.

“It belongs to ME now William,” Ursula said. “I am your Queen now. You are now a commoner under the law.”

William’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh no…but, but I thought you would help me. What have you done?”

“I am helping you William,” said Ursula. “I have absorbed your throne and kingly status into my own powers. I no longer need you. Now kneel before me!”

William trembled as Ursula boomed out her command. She was intimidating, towering over him and looking down at him expectantly.

William backed up a step, but Ursula quickly closed the space between them. “You will obey your Queen,” she said.

“No, that was my throne, my crown!” William cried out, looking up at his wife frantically.

“Not anymore!” Ursula placed her hand on his small head and pushed down. William struggled against her hand, but she was too strong. She was forcing him slowly to his knees. He grunted and then dropped. William knelt before his wife, their roles completely reversed. He could feel the women of the court watching, many of the newly powerful appointees observing everything. He could hear women talking to each other in the throne room, even a few laughs as he fell to his knees.

“That’s better,” she said. “See? I solved the problem. Little James has run off in fear like the wimpy boy king he is. This is so much better, isn’t it? I am in charge now.”

William realized the balance had shifted. The worm had turned. There was no going back. “But, but what about my dynasty?” He asked, grasping at the barest straws of hope, looking up from his knees. His voice came out softer, a touch higher than it used to be.

Ursula laughed arrogantly with a throaty edge, and then bit her lower lip, looking down at him. “You’re just a commoner now. How could a commoner have a dynasty? But don’t worry, I’ll keep you around my baby-king. You’ve served me well. You helped me bring in the new era, the new regime. You’ll get to watch as I remake everything according to my will.”

William’s face turned red in humiliation and horror. James had been right. He had betrayed his nation, his people, mankind. “Oh no,” he whimpered.

“Oh yes,” moaned Ursula. “You have no idea what has begun here, what you have helped make possible.”

Ursula sat down in her enhanced enormous throne, which fit her beautiful ass perfectly. She smiled down at William. King James’ marble throne stood to the side, cracked but intact. It looked sad and pitiful in comparison. Ursula beckoned to her husband. “Come here, little husband,” she ordered.

William thought about disobeying for a moment. But he could see no way to oppose Queen Ursula. She was so powerful now. He shuffled over to her throne.

“Sit at my feet, where you belong.” She looked down at him, all her long arrogance now backed by real power, by growing authority. From his position he could see partly up her ripped dress, into the shadows between her legs. William recognized a musky scent. It was the scent of Ursula’s arousal, of her wet pussy. The idea of her sex made him think of their honeymoon, how she’d wanted him to lick her to orgasm again and again, until he’d been too tired to keep going. He knew Ursula could be insatiable.

She broke his thoughts as she lifted a piece of paper and read aloud. “I decree,” Ursula said. “That Patterland shall henceforth be renamed Femnoria!”

William gasped as Ursula effectively ended the kingdom he had lived and served in his whole life, the kingdom that had stood for generations. “No, you can’t!” He said.

Ursula looked down at him fiercely. “Silence, Billy! You will not speak when your betters are talking! Be quiet and let me govern, or I’ll have you taken away to my keep.”

William blushed and looked down in shame and humiliation. He didn’t dare oppose her. She had total control over the royal palace, and she was twice his height. He’d betrayed everyone, and now he was being talked to like a servant, a boy. He felt Ursula’s hand stroke his hair gently as she began to talk with one of her advisors.

There had to be a way to stop her. William tried to think, but the cloying scent of her sex reached his nose again, and he blinked. He struggled to focus on his thoughts, distracted by memories of sex with his wife. He felt his member stiffen in his loose clothes.