The Claimed: Rashika's Resistance

Chapter 8: Sweet Undoing

"We have a problem with Rona."

My eyes flitted around the courtyard before returning to Pim. He perched on the edge of the fountain beside me, fingers drumming the stone beneath him. I leaned toward him and dropped my voice.

"Has someone seen her?"

"No, I don't think so... I have her locked in a room, and I slip away during breaks a couple times a day to feed her."

"Then what is the problem, Pim?"

He chewed on his lip. "Epsa, she wants to go outside."

"She tried to escape?"

"Worse." His fingers flattened against the stone, and his voice grew morose. "She asked nicely."

"You said no, of course?"

"I did..."

"And?"

His Adam's apple bobbed with a wet swallow. "And she started crying, Epsa. She... she didn't even want to hear a story. I didn't know what to do."

"Oh, Pim. You can't let that bother you. Do you think those Trogolese bastards would care about a crying Najilan child?"

He gave a slow shrug and twisted his lips to the side. "Maybe they would, eh? I don't know, but I'm starting to think we could be wrong about the Trogolese. Maybe Najilans only hate them because they fear them. Like spiders, you know?"

"Pim, I am not afraid of spiders or Trogolese. I hate spiders because they are disgusting, and I hate the Trogolese because they murdered my mother and left me to burn alive."

He exhaled heavily and reached over to squeeze my knee. "You are right, of course."

We fell into silence, interrupted only by a few bird trills and the never-ending splashing and bubbling of the stream behind us.

Then Pim said, "Well, the Royal Guard believes the last Trogolese warriors in the forest have been eliminated. Perhaps this is a good time to tell the King about Rona. I'm sure he would be willing to help her return to Trog. Everyone knows the King loves children."

"The King is preoccupied with the emboldening of the Resistance right now, especially after they murdered those two guards. I will meet with Izra at the Coupling again tomorrow, and I will find information to empower the guards against the Resistance. Then we can tell the King about Rona."

Pim nodded. "Alright... but what makes you so sure you'll find something?"

"I know what I need to do to gain her trust. But I need your help."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

I glanced around the courtyard once more and then spoke in a whisper. "Pim, do you still have that Lord Acrador necklace?"

* * *

On the night of my fourth Coupling, a wind storm wreaked havoc across the dry land. Deadened trees rocked, and branches creaked. Crusted grass tufts ripped free from the ground, and billows of dirt pelted my face and stung my eyes. As I rode, my tunic suctioned to my chest, and my trousers rippled around my ankles. The silver pendant hung cold and heavy between my breasts.

When I reached the open field of dirt, conversing pairs yelled to fight the howling wind, hands clutched unruly skirts and hats, and tents ruffled and flapped. The red tent was absent, but I spotted a slim figure across the field near where the tent usually stood. Her fist propped on her hip, and the wind tugged on her hair, trousers, and tunic. When her face turned toward me, I could have sworn her lips quirked. Happy... to see me?