[Author's Note: UPDATED. What started as a mere writing exercise has taken on a life of its own. This first chapter is the same as the original "Black Maneuver" exercise with only mild corrections and additions. The story premise remains: what if Bo were the Dark Queen when she met Lauren?

Comments and reviews strongly encouraged! It's the only way I'll know what to write next. ~VirginiaBlack517]

CHAPTER ONE

This had better work, or I am screwed.

Lauren Lewis tried not to swallow against her dry throat as she walked down a dimly lit stone corridor surrounded by four ogres. The ogres kept pace with each other, and she tried to keep pace with them without actually running. Whenever she slowed down, one would prompt her to keep moving by prodding her none too gently in the small of her back.

After abandoning her post in the Light Fae compound where she served the Ash – better known as the Blood King – she had come here, to the stronghold of the Dark and immediately turned herself in. Lauren had been thrown around and backhanded once when she wouldn't reveal her intentions, but she'd only told them that she had a message for the Dark Queen.

The ogres had bickered among themselves before one of them had made a phone call. She hadn't heard a word of it, but once it was done, they'd grabbed her by the elbows and led her deeper into the building.

She distracted herself from her fear of their likely destination by observing the two ogres she could see without craning her neck. They were twins – both bald, with large heads and blank faces. One wore a dark suit, with jeweled links at the cuffs of his dress shirt. The other wore a sleeveless mesh shirt that revealed his defined triceps and deltoids and many tattoos.

Each of the ogres could kill her barehanded in seconds.

Lauren decided that she now needed to also distract herself from her imminent death before she vomited.

Remember why you're here.

Remember what the Blood King had done to drive her here.

She had left behind her whole world with no chance of ever returning since she was now a traitor. She also had no idea where they were going, though she was sure that the ogres were taking her to see the Dark Queen.

Lauren had never met the Dark Queen, but had heard stories for years. How the queen had deposed the Morrigan a few years before and now ruled the Dark with a firm and absolute hand. That the queen was a succubus with legendary appetites and power.

How much of that was true and how much was plain bullshit was anyone's guess, but Lauren was about to find out. She also figured that she was dead no matter what happened now, but even if the Dark Queen killed her, if she at least heard Lauren's message first, then Lauren had done what she could.

Minutes later, they'd reached the end of the long hall, and one of the massive ogres opened a wide, oak door. Another shove from behind pushed Lauren forward, and she found herself staring into the face of the only occupant in the room that mattered.

Lauren supposed she should look at some of the others – she noticed in her peripheral vision that there were at least three or four other people in the room, and one of them would most likely be the one to execute her – or perhaps at the room itself, but she couldn't pull her eyes away.

So. This was the Dark Queen.

The queen sat on a large, iron monstrosity of a throne, but it couldn't overshadow the woman. The queen herself was fair-skinned, with long, dark hair without ornament that spilled across her shoulders and down her back. From what Lauren could see, she wore dark pants of some kind tucked into knee-high laced black leather boots, and a black leather jacket that managed to cover everything from shoulder to wrist and fell to mid-thigh, but revealed breasts so full, Lauren might raise an eyebrow in praise if she weren't so scared.

The whole presentation was intimidating as hell. Lauren wondered how she was going to sway this woman to listen to her.

"Why on earth should I believe a single thing you have to say?" The Dark Queen's double octave voice pinned Lauren in place.

Lauren wondered if the Queen could read her mind. Not that it changed anything – she hadn't planned any subterfuge. Still, she thought the queen would have led with asking why Lauren was here.

Guess we're not going to start with the preliminaries. The truth, then.

Lauren took a deep breath.

"Because we both know that you can get the truth with one touch, or have these ogres beat the truth out of me if you don't want to do it yourself." She shrugged and hoped her trembling wasn't visible across the room. "I'm only a human."

Laughter from the ogres filled the room before a sharp gesture from the Dark Queen stopped it abruptly.

As the queen stared at Lauren without speaking, the only sound in the room was the echo after each staccato tap of her index nail on one arm of her throne.

"So, what is so important that you would desert your owner, betray the Light and come to the one place you're likely to be killed on sight?"

Lauren's knees were knocking and she willed her heart to stop pounding. That odd voice was terrifying – and exciting.

"I know how to stop the war," Lauren said.

XX – XX – XX – XX – XX

Bo Dennis leaned back in surprise, and then in irritation that she'd given that much away. Never show what you're thinking or how you feel, Isabeau.

Her mother had drilled that into her head so many times, her mother's voice echoed in Bo's head.

This had to be a trap. What Bo wouldn't give to stop the war – a war that had killed so many innocents and not-so-innocents on both sides. A war based on the archaic belief that Fae must choose a side, and once chosen, they were stuck with it forever.

For centuries, Light and Dark Fae had lived under an uneasy truce, neither gaining more ground or power than the other for very long, until one man had upset the power balance so strongly in the Dark's favor that the Light had hunted him down and executed him. It had set off a war that had now lasted decades.

Bo knew the Blood King was up to something – something big – but none of her sources had been able to catch even a scent of what was really going on. Now, his most dedicated and capable servant had walked right into her territory and given herself up. It had to be a ruse.

But what if it's not a trap? Bo thought quickly. How can I find out if it's true?

The silence in the room grew uncomfortable while the Dark Queen stared at this new puzzle.

"Everyone out." Bo said, in the split-octave voice of her full self.

A few token protests reached her ears – though the one from Vex was probably sincere – but she couldn't give any ground with this group. Not ever.

One of the ogres – she thought it might be Bruce – went to take the human by the arm, but Bo didn't want that.

"Leave the human."

Vex looked up at her in surprise, but then joined the exodus. In less than a minute, the room was empty, leaving Bo and the Blood King's human alone.

They stared at each other. Bo could smell the human's fear, but not once did the woman look away from Bo's gaze.

Impressive, but then again, that's what my little bird tells me.

Bo had a friend in the Blood King's camp who had told her all about Dr. Lauren Lewis. That she was brilliant and knew more about the Fae than anyone alive. That she had used that knowledge to save countless Fae. That she had faithfully served the Blood King for nearly a decade. That she was resourceful, cool, pragmatic and disciplined.

Hale hadn't told Bo that the Blood King's pet doctor was beautiful.

Dr. Lewis – Lauren,Bo corrected in her head - looked petrified and like she hadn't slept or eaten enough recently. There were dark circles under her warm brown eyes, and her fine blond hair fell to her shoulders lifelessly. Yet there was strength to her shoulders and long limbs that Bo found admirable, and though she was clearly afraid, she was also intent on her goal of speaking to the queen.

Bo wondered what her chi – the life essence on which a succubus fed - tasted like.

Snap out of it, Dennis.

The longer Bo stared at her, the more perspiration beaded on the doctor's forehead. Time to turn the tables on her.

Abruptly, Bo stood from her throne and walked down the short dais to the room's floor.

"Come with me," she said in her normal voice. She noted the surprise on Lauren's features, and was glad to see it. She wanted to keep this woman on unsettled footing until she learned all she needed to know.

On one wall of the room was a simple, undecorated door, and it led to Bo's study. Only a few people ever set foot in here – though Lauren wouldn't know that. Bo opened the door, and turned to make sure Lauren was following her.

Once inside, Lauren stood to one side, awkward in her movements, eyes wide as she looked at the room.

Probably thought I was dragging her to the dungeon,Bo thought. She rolled her eyes knowing Lauren couldn't see her face. The time when she'd thought torture would get her anywhere was long past. She got better results by being two steps ahead of her opponent.

The best way to keep a step ahead of someone as smart as Lauren Lewis was rumored to be was to do the unexpected.

Bo unzipped her leather jacket, peeled it from her body and tossed it on the back of a nearby sofa. "Thirsty?" She turned to catch Lauren's eye. "I'm going to have a beer. Interested?"

Lauren looked stunned.

Gotcha, Bo thought.

Lauren rallied quickly. "Yes," she croaked, then cleared her throat. "Yes, please. Thank you."

Well-mannered. Noted.

The room was actually a small apartment and Bo spent quite a bit of time here. The Morrigan had made it something of a receiving room, and the previous opulence of the place had been meant to make any visitors feel small.

Bo had practically bleached the place before redecorating. Now it featured a rustic sitting area with an ultra-modern large screen television, and butcher-block table for meals or late nights reviewing who-knew-what that Vex had brought up from the archives.

Bo walked over to a small kitchenette and opened a refrigerator to fetch two cool bottles of beer. After unscrewing the tops and tossing them in a nearby bin, she walked one bottle over to Lauren as she took a deep swig from the other.

"Here," she said, and handed Lauren a bottle. Lauren stared at it as if it were some tool she wasn't sure how to use. Bo gestured to the sofa and a pair of matching wingbacks. "Take a load off."

Lauren walked over to one of the chairs and sat down, back straight as newly formed rebar. She took a polite sip of the beer, and looked at Bo warily.

Bo stared back. Lauren was even more beautiful up close. She didn't look like most of the humans Bo had seen in the ranks – beaten or conniving, eager to please face-to-face but crafty behind her back.

Lauren's clothes were well-made but hung loosely on her, as if she'd lost weight recently. Yet there was softness to her features – even as she took a casual but deep drink from the beer bottle in her hand - that made Bo want to reach out and touch her, even as the woman sat with an almost regal pose. Lauren was – in a word – stunning.

Enough. Stick to business.

"How, exactly, does a human think she can end a Fae war that's lasted nearly half a century?"

XX – XX – XX – XX - XX

Lauren swallowed and thought quickly.

This could go very badly for her, but she'd known that coming in. Stopping Trick was now the most important thing in the world, and she'd given up her entire life to do it. She could never go back. By now, Trick and his lieutenant, Dyson, would have discovered that she was gone and it was only a matter of time before they figured out where she'd run.

On the other hand, she'd come to the one place where her experience and expertise meant absolutely nothing.

How can I convince her that I'm speaking the truth?

The answer was so simple she almost laughed.

She set the bottle down on a nearby table and stood up. The Dark Queen stood up with her, just as quickly, perhaps sensing an immediate threat. Lauren realized her mistake, and pushed her palms out to show she meant no harm, then removed her own jacket and dropped it in the chair behind her.

"Use your touch on me."

The queen raised an eyebrow.

"How do I know that you haven't somehow poisoned yourself in a way to get to me? And that using my touch won't backfire?" The queen tilted her head down in a way that might have been menacing, but Lauren didn't think it was.

Honesty. It's the only way through this.

"You don't, but I give you my word, I'm not here to poison you or threaten you in any way. It'll save time if you know everything I tell you is true, and your touch will ensure that."

The queen didn't look convinced.

"I've heard you're rather gifted, Lauren. You could have found a way to poison me."

Lauren was shocked to hear her name on the Dark Queen's lips.

The queen continued. "And what's the word of a traitorous human worth?"

Her mild start at the queen's mention of her name aside, Lauren had no more cards to play.

"Please." She said simply, and awaited judgment. Lauren had to trust the possibility that a queen who could throw aside all posturing and pretense – and offer her a casual beer, no less – to turn the tables on her, might be the person to stop all of this madness.

They stared at each other for what seemed like a long time, and then the queen reached over and took one of Lauren's hands gently in her own.

Her touch was soft, and gentle, and warm. Lauren looked down at her hand and saw a red iridescence wash over the back of her hand, and instantly, felt arousal surging through her.

Logically, she knew what was happening. She had studied everything she could find about the succubus species of the Fae genus, but nothing had prepared her for the overwhelming sensation of peak arousal. It felt like she was on the brink of a powerful orgasm, but without any foreplay. Zero to 100 in mere seconds. Lauren's clitoris throbbed in time with her pulse and suddenly she was so aroused she couldn't get enough air in her lungs. Her nipples painfully pushed against the fabric confining them as she swayed, overcome.

She tightly squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to push the feeling away. Lauren didn't even wait for a question before she started talking – the words rushing out almost without thought.

"Trick's gone too far this time. His lieutenants have captured a band of unaligned Fae that fled here from another colony. Half of them are deathly ill and have nowhere else to go. He insisted they choose a side, but they don't want to. They – " she moaned, but then kept speaking, words falling out even faster than before. "They're a peaceful group of mostly harmless Fae – nearly three dozen men, women and children – but if they don't choose by the new moon, the Blood King will execute each and every one of them."

Lauren opened her eyes to look into the deep chocolate of the Dark Queen's eyes. She blinked away tears that had nothing to do with her words and everything to do with how she was feeling.

"His power is in his blood. I've figured out a way to neutralize that power."

Lauren fought the urge she felt to throw herself at this woman she'd met mere moments ago. She knew it was the touch of a succubus that was making her feel that way, but she also knew that this woman was more than the ruthless Dark Queen she'd heard about before coming here. Her eyes said so. There was something about her – Lauren was supposed to be scared to death of her, but she wasn't anymore.

She stared at the queen's full, red lips as she spoke in a hushed whisper.

"If Trick is out of commission, the power vacuum will upset the colony. His lieutenants will need to be dealt with, but the heir to Clan Zamora could take his place and would be much more willing to talk truce." She swallowed, too aroused to be embarrassed at how audible it was. "No one else needs to die."

And in a move that Lauren was certain surprised them both, she took a step closer to the Dark Queen and clasped her hand back.

Before she could stop herself, the emotions and desire she felt took over and she reached out to place her free hand on the Dark Queen's waist. With a groan, she kissed the queen with an urgency she couldn't contain, and deepened the kiss before she could be pushed away.

Instead, the Dark Queen's arms wrapped around her, and her tongue touched Lauren's in a way that showed Lauren that the queen knew exactly how to please a woman. Shamelessly, Lauren kissed her back, until what had started as a crazed, passionate attack slowed down to a low, wicked roar.

The succubus glow faded. Lauren slowly came to her senses and stepped away. She looked around the room with confusion, not sure what to do with herself – and the Dark Queen was staring at her with a small smile on her lips.

Lauren recovered enough reason to realize that she had told the Dark Queen everything she'd come to say. If she believed Lauren, then Lauren would live and could figure out what to do next.

If the Dark Queen didn't believe her, now would be the time for this beautiful woman before her to judge her and have her executed – if she didn't kill Lauren herself.

Lauren looked longingly at the door, then back to the queen in defeat.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere," the queen laughed, and her voice changed again to that eerie double-octave tone. "You belong to me now."

Lauren supposed that should scare her, but was surprised to discover that it didn't.