Anaïs
As soon as the caravan of the Yaguar people became visible in the horizon, all of the handmaidens and serving girls were brought together. An older woman, in her fifties by most guesses, whose hair had greyed and eyes had gone half-blind stepped in front of them. It was often suggested that she had gone too old for her work managing the girls, but Anaïs couldn’t remember her ever actually messing up.
“Right then, girls, quiet down,” she said in a loud voice. It cut through the room like a knife and silenced even the most talkative women. “Due to restrictions made by the lord Thomas Bonney, we have had to cut down on our expenses. That mean that the castle be lacking workers, and your work will be harder, especially with the guests having arrived.
“Your working schedules have been changed, and the following will be promoted to handmaidens for the time being and be given work in the guests’ chambers.” The old woman paused to draw out a letter. Anaïs held her breath, hoping that she might be given a chance to meet with the Kahari through these promotions. “Valarie, you will assist in the Queen’s chambers.” The woman met Valarie’s eyes when she said her name. The young girl with the round face beamed proudly. “Marie, you will be sent to Prince Raymond’s chambers.” When the girl whispered to her friends, the woman shook her head. “Reyna and Josephine, you are assigned to Celeste Lamarck’s chambers. For the Kahari’s nearest, who will be living at the castle, a new team has been set together.”
Anaïs held her breath as the woman studied the letter closely. “For his advisors, Maggie and Anna, and for the Kahari himself, Harriet and Julie.” Time seemed to slow as Anaïs blinked several times. She was a good worker; she had expected a promotion. “And for his daughter,” she continued, but Anaïs was only halfway listening, “Anaïs and Karen.”
Anaïs looked up once more, shocked. It wasn’t until a mud-haired girl with yellow teeth walked over to her. “I’m Karen,” she introduced with a smile.
Her new partner was small and not very pretty, except for a pair of mesmerizing green eyes, but she was a hard worker who was determined to prove herself. She never stopped talking, sometimes not even to eat, but that was what made her good company.
The new team was sent out to prepare the rooms before the Kahari and his advisors returned from their meeting. Karen could talk while doing anything, it seemed, gossiping on and on, but somehow never repeating herself. She was so distracting that Anaïs almost missed the figure lurking in the shadows where a corridor met the hallway that they were walking down after finishing the work.
She touched Karen’s arm to get her attention. “Excuse me for a moment?”
Karen looked from her to the corridor and seemed to notice the man there. Her smile was knowing, and Anaïs was too busy wondering about how Karen saw something that no one else seemed to see to make up a story. “See you later?” She winked while Anaïs just nodded.
When she had finally fended off Karen, she walked into the corridor, past the Shadow with his ever unreadable expressions into a corner where she was sure they would not be overheard. He followed her, far more silently. “A new friend?” he questioned once he had caught up with her.
It was strange for him to ask about such things, she noted. For some reason, a bit of hope lit up. Hope for what, she didn’t know. “You could say so.”
His eyebrow quirked and amusement made its appearance for less than a second. You had to be quick to figure him out; he was, indeed, a shadow – ever-changing and never-resting. “The Kahari met with the Council,” he told her, changing the subject as suddenly as his expressions.
“I know.”
“Disagreements were made.” He drew her further into their little corner. “The Kahari seemed to believe that the King’s death meant freedom for his people. The Queen seemed to disagree.”
“That should be easy to turn to my advantage.” In the case that she would have a reason to talk to the Kahari, at least. That would be a problem. “If I can start conversation with the man.”
“That should be easy as well.” He seemed to have it all figured out. How much time had he spent planning this for her? she asked herself. Once more, the hope returned, followed by something of a mix between pride and happiness. “The Kahari isn’t celibate, and his affections lie almost solely with women. Since you are a woman, and a beautiful one at that, it shouldn’t be hard for you to approach him.”
Anaïs swallowed deeply. The Kahari was a man, and when she thought of men, she thought of Clement, and of Raymond, and other men that had appreciated her beauty. There was a power in beauty, she knew, but also a curse. “You are right,” she said finally, with a voice that was hoarser than expected.
When he smiled, it scared her more than anything. His teeth were dirty, but not yellow as Karen’s, and lack of practice had turned it into a forced grimace. It only lasted a few seconds.
“Why do you do this?” She was referring to the smile, to how he may have tried to comfort her, but she still directed her question differently. “Help me?”
“You killed the King. One could say we’re on the same side.”
Then he left her, without a word, and she sighed in relief. Later that night, after dining on thin soup and bread, she and Karen went to the Kahari’s daughter’s chamber once more. As it had all day, her mouth kept going on. While Anaïs had been away, apparently plenty of things had happened. They were all irrelevant, but something about the way Karen spoke made them exciting.
The room was empty when they arrived, which was strange. Strange was to be expected, though, so they just went about cleaning it. “Do you reckon she’s even been here since we prepared the room?”
It took Anaïs a moment to realize that she’d stopped chattering about Valarie’s fight with some footman over a kiss to ask a question. “Probably not,” she agreed quickly.
“Come to think of it, what did the Shadow want?”
“You know about him?” Anaïs remembered how her partner had seen him earlier. The same kind of shock filled her now.
“If I know about the man who has killed a tenth of the court for the past decade and makes it look like sicknesses?” Karen’s green eyes gleamed mischievously. “It is the worst kept secret in the castle. The only ones who seem ignorant are the rich folk, which really is ironic, since they are the ones paying.”
“Oh.” Anaïs furrowed.
“So... are you paying him?” Her tongue pressed visibly to the inside of her cheek. “Or is he paying you?”
“None,” Anaïs said dismissively. She wished that Karen would just go back to her work.
“Well, I don’t reckon a man would force someone like you to pay.” Her voice was sullen, regretful, as she went back to work. “What is he helping you with? Or who?”
“No one.” Not anymore. “He just... spoke to me about some matters.”
Karen looked disbelieving. “Well, the last time someone spoke to him about matters, she died the next morning...” And before Anaïs knew it, another flow of words escaped Karen. There was a hollow edge to her voice in the beginning, but after enough stories, it began to vanish.
“One of us has to stay, to make sure Asha is assisted to bed,” Karen stated once they’d finished. It was late, late enough that a girl the age of the Kahari’s daughter should have returned.
“I’ll stay,” Anaïs said, feeling slightly guilty about their conversation earlier. Why, she couldn’t tell.
For a while, she just walked about the room. The sun had continued its journey downwards. It hadn’t gone far, but its speed was increasing. When her legs began to ache, she let herself sit in a wooden chair by the window. When the door opened, she jumped up.
The man who entered was not much taller than her, but he was massive. His skin seemed as black as ink for a moment, but then she realized that it was just a dark brown. When she met his eyes, for only a moment, the abnormal colour sent her gaze to the floor as if it had burnt her.
“Has Asha not returned yet?” he questioned when he saw her.
“No, my lord. I am waiting for her return, my lord.”
The man took a couple of steps into the room. “Have you seen her?”
“Pardon me,” she began, “I have not.”
He shook his head, standing still for a moment before moving to the door. “Thank you,” he said over his shoulder.
Anaïs only then noticed that her heart was beating quickly, like a hummingbird’s wings. “My lord,” she exclaimed. It worked; he stopped. When he turned around, she continued. “I was sorry to hear of the misunderstanding in the Council today.”
“I thought the council meetings were secret.” His tone was more wondering than it was harsh.
“They are, but it was hardly a council meeting.”
He gave her a strange look – at least she thought it to be strange, but it might as well be the eyes that played tricks on her. “I appreciate your sympathy.”
“If you do not mind me saying, my lord, I myself have always respected the Queen, though I fear, in this instance, her judgment may be clouded by the grief of her beloved husband’s death.” Anaïs thought that she kept her anxiety out of her voice. In fact, she could not have been more afraid. Her eyes watched him for even the slightest movement that would give away his thoughts. Those eyes made him hard to read.
“I do not mind you saying,” he told her, clearly copying her words. “You speak with truth.”
“Thank you, my lord. I hope I did not overstep.” She looked down, trying to calculate how to best interest him. Again, the golden orbs confused her.
“You did not.”
Even his voice held no clue as to his emotions. “Can I tell you something, my lord?” He simply nodded. “Oftentimes, I have dreamt of something. Some may call it treachery, but I hope you will understand. I swear it is not.” She tried to read him once more, but he remained stoic. “I have dreamed of leaving this kingdom. I have heard so much of your lands.” She took a brave step closer. “Of their wildness, the freedom. And, of course, of you. They say that you are a great leader, the greatest in ages.”
“They lie,” he stated simply.
She took another step closer, shaking her head softly. “I don’t think they do.”
Something had changed – she wasn’t sure what, but it had changed. “I thank you.”
Anaïs pretended to shake herself out of her reverie. “Pardon me, my lord, for taking up so much of your time. If your daughter returns, I shall tell you momentarily.”
“You never know when she returns. I could keep you company – that way, I’ll see her as soon as she returns.”
“That is kind of you, my lord, but I couldn’t accept...”
“You northerners, with your courtesies.” For the first time, she heard emotion in his voice; bitter amusement. “You are the first one to speak true to me, and I like that.”
Truthfully, she had not told him a single true thing; no one had ever told her those things about the southern lands, nor had she ever desired to go there. As they spoke, her lies melted together into a mask that she easily slid on.
It would seem that he liked this mask; the innocence and false truthfulness. He told her his name, his real name. Sundar seemed to roll over his tongue so easily, but it proved difficult to pronounce. It took Anaïs several tries to get it right while Sundar laughed heartily, but also somehow kindly. When he kissed her, softly and almost innocently, she forced herself to relax, made herself lift her hand to his upper arm in faked repressed desire. She knew what this plan would demand on her part, sooner or later.
He drew back, eyes closed. When he opened them, the gold was glowing. “I apologize. I must have drunk a cup too much this evening.” Anaïs looked down, trying to force a blush. When he lifted her jaw with a finger, she met his eyes. “You are very beautiful, and I think you would live well in the South,” he added after a few seconds.
“Do you?” Those two words held so much emotion, and all of it was true; wonder, and hope. A lot of hope.
“Yes.” He seemed to realize then that there had been more than one question. “If you wish, I could bring you, once the coronation has finished.”
“I would be forever grateful,” she breathed, making herself sound just that little bit more grateful than she actually was. Her hand lifted to cup his face and she forced out words. “You are truly a great man.”
Just then, the door opened and in came a girl who could only be the Kahari’s daughter. They flinched apart from each other, but the girl didn’t seem to notice. “Who is that?” A pair of golden eyes so alike her father’s bored into Anaïs.
“She is your handmaiden.”
“What is a handmaiden?” Her voice was curious, even if a little harsh.
“I will help you dress in the mornings,” Anaïs quickly began explaining, “and bathe you in the evenings. I will decorate your hair and pick your jewellery, as well as clean your room and see to your needs.”
The girl frowned deeply. “I don’t think I need a handmaiden.”
Anaïs glanced at the Kahari nervously. “Do you not want a handmaiden to help make you pretty for the coronation?”
The little girl frowned. “Do I need at handmaiden to be pretty?”
The Kahari let out a small laughter while Anaïs searched her mind for an answer. “Of course not, but all the girls at court will be wearing beautiful dresses. Don’t you want to wear pretty dresses?”
“I don’t like dresses.”
Anaïs glanced towards the Kahari, who just smiled wryly in return before shrugging. He turned to his daughter. “You should be more grateful for the Queen’s gifts,” he chided her.
The little girl made a face, but still bowed her head. When she spoke, it was in the language of the Yaguars – and she could see how that people would think they had ancestors in that very beast. The words that the Kahari’s daughters spoke were more like growls than anything, the consonants deep and guttural. The Kahari answered her, his voice even deeper and much more powerful than it had been in the language of the northerners.
“I will be... happy for your help,” Asha said, her voice somehow less fluid in this language.
Anaïs blinked several times. “And I will be happy to offer it,” she tried slowly. “My lady, will you require my assistance preparing for sleep?” When the girl looked at the Kahari with a worried expression, she quickly added, “It will not be seen as offence if you do not.”
It took Asha a few moments to understand, but then she nodded slowly. “I will not.”
“If that would be all, my lady? My lord?” She curtseyed to both of them, awaiting their words before leaving the room.
Anaïs made sure to walk away from the room as slowly as possible, her heart beating rapidly. She may or may not have secured her ticket away from this place, away from suspicion and prying eyes. But as the seconds ticked away, she became more and more sure that it had been an illusion. Until...
“Anaïs!” the Kahari called out and her steps stopped instantly. Her eyes fluttered close for a second before turning around. “It is Anaïs, isn’t it?”
The smile came naturally to her, though it was for other reasons than the Kahari would think. “Yes,” she said, making herself sound happier than she was – breathless, even. “It is, yes.” He seemed uncertain of what to say. That was a good sign; it meant that following her had been impulsive, based on emotions.
When her breath quickened slightly, she told herself that it was going to be alright; as long as she stayed a step ahead of him, she would be in control. Nothing would happen. She slowed her breathing before she spoke. “Was that your language you spoke before? The language of your people?”
He smiled, relieved. “Yes.”
“It is beautiful.” She remembered too late to make her voice as though she meant it; instead, it came out oddly cold and unfeeling. Somehow, he didn’t notice and she thanked the gods that he did not know the language that well. “Would you teach me?”
He nodded, smiling. His teeth appeared bright and white compared to his skin colour. Like the black beast with its golden eyes and bright fangs, living in the southern forests. Of the jaguar. She had heard that phrase used about them. All men are beasts, she thought as he spoke. “You would have to know it, when you go to the South.”
“What?” Her eyes widened.
He flinched. “I’m sorry... you said you wanted to go there, and I...”
“Oh, no,” she quickly cut in. “I want to, it just... you surprised me.” She hesitated, knowing that she was close to losing it all. Maybe it was time for some truth. “The matter is, many men have pretended to care and given me gifts, but they always want something in return.”
“I don’t want anything in return,” he assured her. “If you wish to go to the South, it cannot be forbidden. It will not be of any expense.”
As she nodded to herself, she told herself that he was speaking truthfully. She knew of course that he was not. She could see it in his eyes. But he was her only chance. Any other way, and the Queen would suspect something. When tears filled her eyes, she quickly smiled to make them appear happy rather than frightened. “I wish it... so very much.”
It wasn’t a lie. Of course it wasn’t a lie.