The Farren Queens

Amara

"So, are you going to tell me your name?" he asked after they had been limping through the passage for a while. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness throughout their walk. Samir had mumbled occasionally however this was the first complete sentence he had managed.

She paused for a minute before asking, "You haven't figured it out?"

"In case you can't tell, I'm in a lot of pain. Do I know you?" He turned his head to look at her, his face contorted with pain.

"Maybe. You want to take a guess?"

"Not really," he sighed, "Well, you're definitely not Basami, and you don't look Massaponaian, so that leaves Bek and Farren."

Amara nodded in confirmation. "So, which one?"

"Farren?"

"Correct. But you still haven't guessed my name."

"Want to tell me?" he said.

Does he not understand the game?

"He's messing with you."

I thought he was in too much pain to joke.

"Sometimes laughter is the best medicine."

Laughter doesn't stop infection.

In the low light Amara missed an uneven brick. She stumbled forward and Samir cried out in agony. He lurched over, nearly collapsing onto the damp stone. Amara moved her arm across Samir to keep him upright and caught him, but his momentum threatened to bring her down with him. Trying to keep their weight on her, she stood up. Amara's grip tightened, and she could see Samir trying not to scream out in pain.

"Are you alright?" The words had come out more anxious than she had intended.

His voice was just above a whisper, "Not really, no."

"Do you need to sit?"

"Yes." Samir trembled.

She lowered Samir down first, avoiding his bad foot. Amara knelt beside him and tightened the bandage around his ankle. Though she tried to be gentle, Amara knew she wasn't. "What do you need?"

"A healer."

"That's not available at the moment." She took a deep breath. "What can I do to help?"

"Tell me your name?" he asked, hesitation and pain in his voice.

"You should know who I am." Amara told him.

"Can I have a hint?"

She rolled her eyes. "I talked to you at the ball before our little run in at the gardens."

"That hardly narrows it down. I talk to a lot of people."

"I also talked to your sister, Bahar."

He raised an eyebrow. "You know my sister?"

"No, it was my first time meeting her."

"You must be important if Bahar wants to talk to you."

"I am."

Samir gave her a baffled look. "Humble too."

Amara grinned. "I'm the most humble person ever."

At this, Samir laughed. "What were you wearing?"

"A sunrise." she replied, her voice full of wonder. She gestured to her dress. "These are the remains."

"What happened?"

"I cut it up to help your ankle."

"Thank you, it doesn't hurt so bad when I sit anymore. You said you were wearing a sunset?" He paused for a moment, deep in thought. "I do believe that I saw a new queen wearing a light blue dress.
Can't say it looked like the sunset, though."