THE TIDES OF TIME

- Chapter 32 -

"I'm going to kill You!" Blagun snarled again and launched at Jovan, only to be stopped by Anil.

"No, You will not," Anil stood his ground right in front of Blagun and held the man in place despite his small frame and Blagun's broad shoulders and towering height.

"Let me pass, Anil," Blagun lashed out at his friend.

"With pleasure, but You must know that Jovan the Valiant is right. And he was definitely justified in bestowing Our beloved Lala Şahin Pasha's ring to that wretched woman," Anil scolded Blagun in a perfectly logical manner - at least in his mind.

"You dare to undermine my intelligence?!?" Blagun all but spit the words out at Anil.

"No such thing. Then again, You did a better job of it yourself just now," Anil flashed his pearly whites to prove his point, but hunched down in a heartbeat and moved between the horses to where Jovan stood.

"You did undermine my intelligence!" Blagun tried to go after him, but his sudden movement spooked the horses. "If You dare to insult me, at least be a man enough to defend Yourself!"

"Will You calm down?" Jovan scolded Blagun. "Your precious ring will make its way back to You, I will personally vouch for it."

"Why did You give it to her in the first place?" Blagun asked Jovan and tried his best to steady his breath and calm his fuming temper.

"Because he needed to outsmart Zora," Anil said as he peaked his head up from the other side of the horse, and crossed his arms at his chest, proud of himself.

"By doing what, kissing up to her and making it seem like You betrayed Jagoda?" Blagun almost lost his patience with both men.

"No such thing," Jovan straightened up and replied in such a cold tone of voice that Blagun felt a cold breeze on his back. "I will never, EVER, betray Jagoda. Nor will I permit Zora to win."

"He simply strung the tunes of Zora's greedy side," Anil explained and continued to grin because he realized he figured out Jovan's plan before Blagun did. "It's the same as playing dead after being shot with a poisoned arrow."

"Exactly, my dear rabbit whisperer," Jovan patted Anil's back. "We outsmart the arrogant Ice Princess."

"And how do You suppose we outsmart her into giving up the information about the true location of where she is keeping Jagoda locked up?" Blagun asked sarcastically and watched as Anil nodded in agreement.

"She already told me," Jovan grinned from ear to ear.

"Liar," Blagun and Anil both replied, in unison yet again.

"And it was easier than You think," Jovan continued.

"Do tell," Blagun raised his eyebrow in disbelief while Anil wondered what they were still doing by the waterfall, tending to their horses, instead of riding off to save his dear friend.

"I simply asked her where she wanted the wedding to take place," Jovan moved his shoulders as if he'd just revealed the most guarded secret known to men without getting impressed by it.

"What did that have to do with finding Jagoda?" Blagun could not help but to ask.

"Everything, actually. I kept throwing Fortress names and locations at her until I came across the location of where Zora imprisoned Jagoda. You should have seen the sudden change in her voice, but especially in her eyes," Jovan said in one breath, recalling the way Zora's eyes looked in the moonlight.

"So, where is she keeping Jagoda?" Anil asked anxiously.

"At the Boyana Church," Jovan said as quietly as possible.

"Then what are we waiting for?!?" Anil exclaimed.

"You're not going," Jovan turned to Anil and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Why not?" Anil asked, utterly disappointed, and meant it.

"Because You have to go with Zora to the Mezeks Fortress and take care of the wedding preparations," Jovan inclined his head and whispered the words to make sure no one else heard them.

"And why is that?" Anil did not want to give up on his desire to rescue Jagoda.

"Zora mustn't suspect anything. So far, Kinga has not left her side, and we must ensure that does not change," Jovan pointed at Anil. "From what I can tell, Kinga hasn't realized yet that she is tending to her enemy's needs."

"Part of it comes from the desire to believe that Jagoda had been rescued," Blagun chimed in.

"And I do not blame her one bit for it," Jovan nodded. "We must all make Zora believe that she won, at least for now."

"So, I stay behind. But why does he get to go with You?" Anil asked, obviously sulking as he pointed at Blagun.

"He does not. He is going to neighboring towns and villages to gather Jagoda's supporters and those who still believe in Lala Şahin Pasha's legacy," Jovan instructed Blagun and Anil.

"And You are going to Boyana Church all by Yourself, again?" Blagun asked and nodded because he was already deducing which locations to ride to first.

"That is correct," Jovan smiled at him and gestured to Blagun that the time had come for them to mount their horses and for Anil to head back inside.

"Anil, You must ensure that Zora does not suspect a thing. If all goes well, I will return with Jagoda before the wedding tomorrow," Jovan advised Anil.

"Tomorrow?" Blagun all but choked.

"I had to make her think she already won," Jovan replied and moved his shoulders up and down as they waved farewell to Anil, and watched him disappear inside the waterfall.

"And what did You tell Kinga to have her surrender my ring so easily?" Blagun wondered out loud once they got onto the road leading up to the Boyana Church.

"I told her that I would propose to Jagoda with it, though I fear for my life the moment she finds out I proposed knowing it was Zora all along," Jovan replied and shrugged, suddenly cognizant that he feared his beloved's best friend more than he feared the enemy waiting for him...