The Claimed: A Clash of Copper and Gold

Chapter 20: Stories of the Past

When I awoke, the first tendrils of sunlight already seeped through the cracks in the wood ceiling. I rubbed my eyes and turned to see Niako sitting against the wall watching me.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Only an hour."

"An hour? Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked peaceful."

"Well, I won't look peaceful if we are caught." I pushed up to sitting, and my foot tangled in the rope I had left at my side. I had a sudden vivid memory of Niako's dilated eyes staring up at me, still lost in some horrific nightmare. "How... how are you feeling?"

"Much better. I usually recover after a little food and sleep."

Cold swept through me. "Usually?"

"I'm more worried about that poor mare. I think we nearly ran her into the ground."

"Niako... what do you mean by 'usually?'"

Then the door swung open, and Epsa tottered into the room with two steaming bowls. "Good morning, my unfortunate princes. I made you some porridge."

She set one bowl in my lap and held the other out toward Niako from several feet away. Niako raised an eyebrow at the bowl, not moving from the ground.

Epsa tsked and propped her free hand on a hip. "Eat, boy. Trust me, it's not poisoned — although I can't say I wasn't tempted."

Niako sighed as he reached forward to accept the bowl. "How thoughtful of you." 

I kept my eyes on Niako and Epsa even as I spooned porridge into my mouth. The porridge reminded me of home — hot, thick, and sweet enough even for Aunt Mitzy — but Epsa's piercing gaze on Niako prevented me from relaxing. 

After Niako ate a few spoonfuls, Epsa spoke. "I knew your great-grandfather."

"And let me guess," said Niako. "You were not friends."

"Friends, no. I served in his Royal Guard."

Niako's spoon froze on its path toward his mouth, and he made a strangled sound.

Epsa continued.

"King Makapu suspected a woman named Izra was leading a rebellion, so he asked me to attend the Coupling to draw secrets from her. Instead, I fell in love with her." Her eyes fixed on a cobweb in the corner of the stable. "Realizing how heinous the Rakim rule had become, I decided to help Izra plan the rebellion. But just before the insurrection could begin, everything changed."

I dropped the bowl to my lap, and a little porridge slopped over the side onto my trousers. "Why? What happened?"

She pulled her eyes from the cobwebbed corner to flash me a small smile. "Why, dear boy, that was when Chief Taroom of Fooja marched in to kill the king."

When my great-grandfather killed Niako's. I glanced in Niako's direction. He placed his empty bowl on the ground beside him and looked at Epsa for the first time since she had begun her story.

"I knew you looked familiar," he said. "You met with my father before, didn't you? You and Izra... you were the Blessed Pair."

She shrugged. "Not so blessed, but we were certainly a pair. We did what we could for the people of Najila. It was never enough. And a few years ago, Izra grew ill."

Her gaze focused on some distant point beyond the wall behind us, and her hand darted to her thigh, tensed, hovered... dropped to her side again. "I was ready to give up, but Izra... she told me I wasn't done yet. She told me that whatever gods exist still had plans for me before I could join her."