The Tattooed Princess

The Miraculous Power of Revenge

        At mid-morning the follow day, Tsudros was still attending to Zaria's tender and darkly inscribed flesh. He had throughout the night covered her new tattoos repeatedly with his healing salve and then applications of fresh snow to deaden the pain. There came at that time a voice at his entryway which Zaria recognized  as Mila, her confidant from the palace. Tsudros let her in and the poor woman was wrapped head to toe with layers of snow-covered clothing.

        "Mila . . . Come!" Zaria exclaimed. "Sit here. Next to Tsudos' fireplace. Warm and dry your body, sweet friend."

        The middle-aged woman entered and sat as instructed next to where Zaria was still laying. She removed her outer garments and placed her reddened hands close to the flames.

        "What news do you bring of the king's condition . . . of the situation in the palace?"

        "For the past days Sharvur has been close to death," she reported unemotionally. "It seemed he would pass like the others . . . silently in the night. But then he was told by one of his generals of news. News can only be sad to your ears, dear Zaria."

         "What news is this?"

        "The soldiers have returned. Those who were sent out to find the Amazons. Only half of them made it back. The rest died in the cold and some were killed in their efforts to bring Aella, the king's torturer back."

        "Aella?"

        "Yes. She has been captured again. This time with two other Amazons. One the age of Aella, and another . . . a younger girl."

        Zaria was sad and silent. "Are you sure of this things, Mila?"

        "Yes. The guards did not know what to do, as no one is in charge of the palace these day. Kriedo refuses to enter the citadel, as he claims everyone will eventually die as the king will shortly."

        "But the remaining soldiers brought the three Amazon women into Sharvur's chamber . . . to show him. They woke the king out of his fever to display their spoils."

        Zaria closed her eyes at the thought of this.

        "It was  thought by the remaining general that the sight of Aella would please Sharvur. Raise his spirits. Even revive him. You see he and the remaining men . . . only ten of those who left . . . eared what would befall them if they came back to Sharvur empty-handed. Now, they told us, with Aella captured, they can return to their families in the tent city . . . and wait out the winter in some comfort and peace."

        "But there will be no peace for them, Mila, when they see what this plague has brought to their homes," Zaria was visibly angry with the conditions everyone lived under now. "And what of these women now, Mila? The three Amazons?"

        "Sharvur was too weak to act when he saw them. He was in and out of consciousness. I was there at the spectacle. He was awake only long enough to recognize their presence. But he smiled . . . strangely in is deep misery. He somehow understood Aella was back in his capture. I fear for each these women should the king live."

        Zaria tried to sit up in her consternation with these events. But Tsudros motioned for her to stay immobilized before the fire, which he once again revived with large logs.

        "The three Amazons have been locked in the palace by the guards. Aella and the stronger one are  kept in your old chamber . . . and the younger girl is alone and in Svetlana's former room."