The Tattooed Princess

Purity's Surrender

         Over the next days, Zaria had to appear before the new leaders of the Pazyryk People. The generals—two senior members of Sharvur's former staff and one younger, seemed more concerned with other matters of the transition to power than Zaria's plight. Yet they were brief and adamant with her. As Sharvur had warned, she was to remain within the confines of the palace, except by special permission, and had to refrain from seeing any male alone. It was made clear, as well, that her position of 'vestal virgin,' protectoress of the realm, was contingent on the maintenance of her purity and physical virginity. Fortunately for Zaria this was a present fact they, at least for now, did not demand proof of. There seemed to be more friction among the men as to how they would share the palace facilities for the moment, and Zaria was all too happy to take leave of them while they remained in a state of disagreement and heated debate. 

            Over the many months, Zaria had made close alliances with several of the security guards in the palace—ones who had become disloyal to Sharvur.  She planned how she would use their assistance to temporarily escape the confines of the citadel and eventually leave it for good. This she would do just long enough to check on the condition of Branka and Tomyris, and then go see and comfort her lover Tsudros. Her fellow slave and the young captive Amazon were last seen hiding in the small home of Moshtok, who, as Branka's own lover, had agreed to conceal them. This was a daring move on Moshtok's part, for it was known by the four that were he to be discovered instrumental in harboring the young women, certain execution would come to him. This was even more assured now that his cousin, the former and wicked king, was in a deep isolation and imprisonment, presumably for the remainder of his life. The new regime, which had no love for Sharvur or his extended family, would not blink twice at killing any of them, just as they threatened to do to the king himself on the stormy night he was overthrown. 

        The following day, under the guise of a long solitary bath and her domestic duties, Zaria was able to flee the palace and in disguise make it to Moshtok's home.  There, to an emotional reunion the escapees—Branka and Tomyris, she was greeted and was appraised of their difficulties while evading the authorities. They expressed how they had survived with Moshtok's help, but suffered from little food or seeing the light of day during this long period. 

        "We are aware of Sharvur's unexpected imprisonment," Moshtok said. "And though he is of my blood, I am not sad that he has been removed. For during these many nights by the fire I was told by Branka how he had mistreated her. Were he to die in that lonely cell tomorrow . . . I would not grieve." 

        "Yes. It is a relief to many of us that the king has been finally removed," Zaria replied. And that he will have no more control of our lives," she said with a jubilant smile. "He is finished creating in Branka and me the fear we endured so often at his calling of us to his bedchamber." 

        Branka nodded solemnly. 

        "Yet . . . we will sadly carry the scars of his abuse in our thoughts all our lives," Zaria continued.  "Sharvur's evil games . . .  have finally been destroyed." 

        Moshtok reached over and comforted Branka with a hand upon her shoulder. 

        "But are you certain, sweet sister?" a skeptical Branka asked boldly. "I would only relax if I knew he was killed by those who replaced him." 

        Zaria nodded in agreement. "It was definitely considered. But the generals who now rule us agreed a better punishment for him would to be . . . denial. For him to live out his life miserably . . . and without the pleasures he had enjoyed for so long." 

        "And those pleasures included our bodies," Branka said, looking over to the innocent Tomyris seated close to the fire. 

        The young Amazon looked up pensively. Now cleaned up and wearing the warmer clothing of the Pazyryk as part of her disguise, she came over close to Zaria and hugged her. As a sign of appreciation she placed a hand over her chest. It was  for what she had done, hiding the girl from the torture being discussed and to bringing her here to safety. Zaria could see that Tomyris without he layers of dirty skin and her previously disheveled hair was now of a fair face and beautiful complexion. She had expressive and kinder blue eyes, not unlike her own Slavic sisters. All in the room could see her innocence now shine through. For it was in this new environment that it eclipsed her natural and conditioned readiness to attack and savagely protect herself at all costs. Though still an Amazon in every way, Tomyris was also as yet a girl—but nearer the passageway to womanhood, as Zaria and Branka had been when they were abducted and placed into the society of Scythian culture.