Sixteen
"I want to know about my mother," Ellegra said, raising her voice to be heard over the chatter of the guards. The noise dimmed, all ears tuning to listen to her proposal.
Prince Arem gave a weak chuckle. "You're not exactly in the position to be demanding things, Princess." The rest of them shared in a hearty laugh, and conversations resumed their volume. But she wasn't done yet.
Gritting her teeth, she wrapped her hands around the chains, linked her fingers together, and yanked back with all her might. The horse cried out and jerked to the side, nearly tripping over its own feet. Arem glared back at her with wide, angry eyes. The party froze, guards pulling their beasts to a stop to look at them. Tension quickly filled the air, so thick it was hard to breathe. Ellegra's sore hands released the chains. "I want to know what happened to my mother." She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek. She knew she was overstepping the boundaries of royals, disrespecting one in front of his men, but she was tired of being played as nothing more than a criminal. Now she was demanding respect.
Arem contemplated his words. He pursed his lips, resting a hand on the back of the saddle to hold his twisted body in position as he stared at her. "She's gone."
The two words broke a rush of ice inside her. It coursed through her veins and twisted her gut, freezing her lungs and stopping her breath. "What?" She barely choked out the word. "What does that even mean?"
A pained look took over his handsome face. "The queen disappeared right after the funeral. No one has seen her since." He took no joy in seeing the shock discolor her face.
A guard moved his horse beside the prince's, its tail flickering next to her head. "There's a rumor going around about her," the man said.
The prince shot him a disgusted look of anger. The guard shied away, remembering his place. "And just what might that be, Private Alchun?" His tone left a burn in the back of his throat.
The soldier kept his eyes fixed on the sand. "People are saying she's hunting down the princess, sire. They say she's trying to find the murderer of her husband." He lifted his head to look at Ellegra. All humility faded from his eyes, replaced with a sinister, insidious look that made his lips twitch. "They say she's coming for you."
Ellegra narrowed her eyes, but she couldn't deny the imprint of cold ice his words left on her. Her own mother thought she was a traitor. She wanted her daughter's head just as much as her brother and country did. I really am alone.
Arem snarled. "Get back in line," he growled at his soldier. He glanced down at Ellegra, but she was staring at the ground with wide, unseeing eyes. She had gone completely numb at his soldier's words. Reluctantly, Arem tugged at her chains to get her moving again.
❂
Night took over the sky with a swift stroke of a brush. Stars whispered in the canopy of darkness, breathing quietly above them. The men made small talk, a slight cheer in their voices the closer they got to the village. The air buzzed with electricity. They were all tired, but they were more excited to finally be out of the Valley. How the slave traders made it their home and survived remained a mystery, but hopefully one Ellegra would never know the answer to.
Quietly, she pulled her flask from her pants pocket and took a small swig, swishing the water in her mouth to relieve some of the dry, nasty taste that lingered on her tongue. She swallowed and smacked her lips.
The prince called for a quick rest. A scout tediously climbed the canyon wall and walked ahead. Then he held up his hand, pointing one finger at the sky. Many of them gave loud sighs, others clasped their hands in prayer and smiled. "One hour to the village," Prince Arem called, and hoots of joy were released into the night. "Five minutes to rest and stretch." He dismounted with every ounce of grace he could muster, his legs tight and sore as he came to Ellegra and pushed the key into the padlock. With a creak of metal, the shackles opened and fell into the sand with a jingle of chains. She moaned and rubbed her fingers around her wrists, her eyes closed in this small piece of ecstasy. Arem's voice pulled her back, shattering her moment of peace. "I want to believe you," he said. She opened her eyes, finding him closer than she would have expected. She could feel part of her firm resolve against him slowly thawing from the heat his body pushed off. Try as she might to hate him, she missed her friend. "More than anything in the world, I want to believe that what you're saying is the truth."
"It is," she pleaded. "I swear to you. I have never lied to you before and I'm not lying now. I didn't kill my father."
Arem's hands struggled to keep still at his sides. His fingers probed along the backs of her hands, gingerly scaling up to caress the tender flesh of her wrists. His touch made her shiver. A hand slid up and cupped the back of her neck, his thumb gently pushing her chin up so her eyes met his. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "Why?" he whispered, his warm breath climbing over her skin. "Why would you come here?"
Ellegra swallowed. "The world believes I'm a murderer, Arem. Everywhere I turned, someone was vying for my head, trying to prove their worth to the new king by handing in the traitor. It wasn't safe in Cureldin anymore. I swear we weren't trying to cause trouble by coming here. I just thought—"
"You thought that because I love you, I'd protect you from your brother." Ellegra stared at him with wide eyes. Secretly, she'd always known how he felt about her, but he had never said the words out loud. He sighed. "A lot has changed since you've left court, Ellegra." His words held a dark tone that echoed inside the growing hollow inside her chest.
She backed away to look at him. "What do you mean?"
His hands reached out for her again, yearning to pull her back against him. He slid his tongue along his lips, his eyes trained on hers. "Your brother gathered the Council just after you... disappeared. He signed a bill verifying that any country to harbor you would be committing national suicide. He promised a declaration of war to any king or queen that aided you." He paused, letting the news sink in. Her eyes slowly widened. "In accordance with the law, I'm bound to hand you over to him."
Her hands shoved at his chest, her feet backing away as a sense of alarm shot through her. Her lungs raged in trying to gather enough air to pump her pounding heart. He was taking her back to Cureldin, back to more shackles, back to the prisons beneath the palace halls. Back to him. The thought smacked into her chest and left her breathless, gasping for air. "You're taking me back to him? You... You lied?" She retreated several more steps.
"Ellegra, I—"
"You lied!" she screamed. Fresh tears poured from her eyes and burned down her cheeks. "How could you?!"
He caught the cautious glares of his men and raised his hand to reassure them. They rested their hands on their swords but didn't move to do more. Tamshie and the others were standing now. "What do you want me to do, Ellegra? I cannot have my country go to war because I helped a traitor!"
Her face grew red. "I am not a traitor!"
"I can't help you! There is nothing I can do, and I won't forsake the lives of my people based on your word and a maid's pleas. You think I want to do this? There's nothing I can do, Ellegra. I'm sorry."
"You lied," she repeated. Her mind reeled, her feet pedalling away from him. Her skin crawled in all the places he had touched her. She felt disgusted, angry and hurt at him for lying, but more with herself for ever thinking that his feelings for her would be enough.
The prince sighed. "Mount up!" he called out. He reached towards her, his fingers beckoning her to follow and comply. "Let's go."
She twisted out of his grasp. "You lied."
His eyes stared and narrowed at her, the pain inside him surfacing. He knew she wouldn't go easily; she'd always been stubborn. He didn't want to fight with her, but he would if it came down to it. "Ellegra, let's go."
She backed away from him "Why would I go anywhere with you? You're a liar. You lied to me." She spat at the sand near his feet. "You're a bigger traitor than I am."
His eyes shifted slightly, his lips pursed as he thought of his next move. His body slightly turned away from her, he ran a hand down his face. There was a sudden sound of slinging metal, and in a blink, he pointed the edge of a sword at her throat. Her sword. Ellegra let out a soft breath, a sob in the disguise of a croak. "Hold out your wrists." She didn't move. "Ellegra, please." There was no hiding the pain in his voice. Groaning, he switched his hold on her blade, pressing it tightly against her throat and bending to pick up the chains. He clucked his tongue, and another guard came over to tighten them back around her wrists. Lowering the blade, Arem gave a quick jerk and test of the shackles, yanking her closer. Her chest crushed against his.
Tears fell from her chin as she angrily stared up at him. "I hate you."
Arem mounted his horse and fastened the chains around the horn of his saddle. "You wouldn't be the first." He kicked his mare into motion.
Every footfall brought on another fit of tremors that wracked her body. She pulled and yanked at her manacles constantly, irritating both the prince and his beast, knowing it was to no avail. Her wrists twisted and chafed in the cuffs, leaving raw scores in her flesh that burned and peeled. Her sobs turned to sniffles. Tamshie and the others cast pitiful glances at her, but she ignored them for now. She growled at herself, hating that she ever believed she could ever be truly safe from the clutches of her brother. Why was I so stupid to think Arem would be helpful? Why did I ever think he would defy orders for once in his life and do something to help me? Her chest ached as images of the two of them played behind her eyes: sparring, flinging sand, swimming, running through the halls unsupervised. Each memory brought on a new wave of fresh tears that she couldn't stop from spilling over. She was headed back to Cilas the executioner, and her former friend was going to deliver her. The realization made her eyes blur and her heart ache even more.
No one spoke on this journey. The guards did not laugh, did not share in quiet conversations. Even the horses seemed to understand the tension in the air, flicking their tails quietly. Every step brought them closer to the village, closer to civilization. Closer to capture. It would be another long journey for her, bound in chains. What would Cilas do once she was brought back? Every image her mind conjured of him made her body shiver and her heart leap into her throat. Her blood would be spilled for a false, unfair trial. Her head would be stuck on a pike for all those to see. She would be forever remembered as the spoiled child who killed her father over the throne. She would go down in history as the murderous, treacherous princess corrupted by invisible greed.
Her mother's soft face appeared as she closed her eyes, pushing more tears from the corners. Her full lips, flawless skin, dark hair that was tied neatly on her shoulder in a long braid. Every feature made her chest tighten even more, so knotted that she couldn't breathe.
"There it is," she heard one of the men whisper. Voices stirred as the excitement grew. A weight dropped inside Ellegra's chest.
"Look, Faine!" Romi called to him. She jumped on her toes and smiled, beaming from ear to ear. "We're here."
Faine did not share the same enthusiasm, instead sliding his eyes over to glare at the prince. His chains pulled taut and he crashed forward into the girl. Romi gave a cry of "oof!" and staggered forward, but nothing could deter her excitement.
The party moved forward in cheery whispers and exchanged grins. Ellegra could feel the giddy energy buzzing under their skin and around their heads, and it was hard to fight it away from her. She was not happy; the same frenzy that lurked in their veins was different from the mania that stirred in her own. Panic and fear began to claw their way up from her stomach and into her chest. She became a ball of restlessness, steeling her toes in the sand and refusing to move any closer to the city, to hell.
"Almost home," she heard Arem say to himself, and the desperation inside her snapped free. She stepped up beside the horse and onto the reaches of her toes. Her hands folded over the grip of her father's sword and pulled it from its sheath. The prince let out a cry of surprise. "Ellegra!" he yelled, eyes wild. "What are you doing?"
Silence once again fell as all eyes turned on her. The guards circled their horses back and jumped from the saddles, drawing their own blades to point at her, archers aiming their arrowheads at her. Ellegra held up the sword, swiping it in an arc near the horse's legs. Her chain gave a shrill ring as it broke and clattered into a pile. Arem gripped the reins of the startled mare and held her firmly in place next to him. "I will not go back there, Arem."
"Ellegra, you don't understand. If I don't bring you back, I risk going to war— with both our kingdoms."
"I don't care," she laughed humorlessly. "I will not go back. Not there. Not to him."
"You'd kill thousands of innocent people just so you can live?" He paused, holding his hands out at her in a soothing manner that only aggravated her more. She lifted the sword higher, aiming the tip at his chest. He held his hands up near his head. "You'd add more blood to your hands?"
"I didn't do it!" She thought all her tears had dried hours ago, wasted from useless sobs. More rolled down her cheeks, and soon her vision was nothing but shaky, blurry orbs of distorted shapes. "I didn't kill my father, Arem. You have to believe me."
"Well, I don't. I can't. If I do, then I welcome the idea that the monster— the traitor— sitting on your throne has an entire army at his disposal and at any second could unleash it upon my people. I can't believe you, Ellegra. The second I do is the moment I damn my country. You know my father. He will never side with me. He rules Cureldin with an iron fist. It's unnatural the power he wields. My father is scared." His eyes glinted in the moonlight, narrowing and widening in the same second as he battled his own inner turmoil.
Ellegra flexed her fingers around the hilt, glancing around. She counted eighteen guards, not including the prince. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she swallowed around her growing nerves. "Then you can say you never saw me. I never came through here."
His eyes peered at her through slits, his long lashes nearly blackening his eyes in the darkness. "Ellegra!"
"Tell him you heard rumors of my presence, but you never came across me. Or-or say I escaped your grasp."
"And look weak?" It wasn't a question that needed a reply, but she nodded anyway, and his sarcastic smile fell away. "You really believe you can overcome eighteen of the best soldiers in Asaan?" His eyes slid sideways, and he shared a look with a fellow guard.
The man suddenly lunged at her, sword swinging wildly in a blur of gleaming silver that bounced the moon's reflection as it spun. Ellegra danced out of the way, dodging and swerving out of the way just before the blade pierced the air where her head head been. She dove under his extended arm, jabbing a fist into his gut and driving her elbow up and into the man's face. The air left his body, along with a wad of spit and his consciousness. His body fell flat into the sand. Ellegra stood back, sword at the ready and her chest bobbing and heaving.
"Yes," she said, "I do."
Arem looked down at the fallen man, noticing the uncertainty that rippled through his men like a wave crashing over rocks. He waved his hand at two more, who tentatively stepped up to take the place of their defeated comrade. "Ellegra, don't do this. You won't win."
"I'd rather take my chances here than be sent back there." The men jumped, and within a matter of seconds, the second one was crumpled atop the first in the sand. The third managed to land her in the sand and delivered a blow to her stomach, but she rebounded quickly enough and managed to lay him beside the other two. She glanced around at the fourth, fifth, sixth, her heart rearing and hardening against them. A clash of metal sounded, and then the fifth fell, the sixth, seventh, and the eighth. Ellegra watched their descent with a mixture of triumph and fear. Her energy was fading, but there were still more guards waiting to pounce. Sweat poured down her back.
Faine suddenly emerged from the pile of bodies, his long chain whipping in circles in the air. Ellegra stared at him in awe. He shrugged off the look and grumbled, "You can't pay me if you're dead." Tamshie moved out from behind him and nodded toward her, hands balled into fists.
Arem growled, snarling and sending in more. They fought with their backs to each other, more in sync than they'd ever been. Ellegra's mind toyed with the idea of using her curse, but she knew it would require more energy to blast one away than to fight, and she didn't know how to call it forth. Instead she fought with her hands, her blade a slashing blade of moonlight that cut through her captors. Faine did the same, only with less grace and more of a ravenous hunger for the revenge. His chain swung at connected with heads, eyes, and ears. By the fall of the last body, the three of them were sweating gallons and heaving with the force of the wind. Ellegra stood tall, positioning herself in front of the Romi and Tamshie to separate them from Arem. He looked relieved. Her eyebrows shot up, but she narrowed her eyes at him and sneered.
Arem stepped forward, placing his own sword on the ground. "I was hoping you'd be able to hold your own." His gaze briefly flickered to Faine, and a stoic look passed between them. "Your intervention was unnecessary, but it wasted less time." He retreated to his horse, undoing the latches of the saddlebag and shoving his hand to the very bottom. First he brought out the keys, tossing them into the sand at her feet. "Hurry, there isn't much time." His hand dove inside again, and this time when he pulled them away, a jingle of coins rustled inside his hands. A purse. He came over, his toes flushed with hers. "I believe you," he breathed. Ellegra's chest soared. "But this is all I can do. Go to Fort Azra and catch the ferry to Suroya." He grabbed her hand and planted the bag in her palm, closing her stiff fingers around it. "I'm sorry I can't do more." His hands fell to his sides. "Go. Go."
Faine quickly unlocked Tamshie and Romi's shackles, taking off to the mouth of the canyon. Ellegra remained a moment longer, frozen in place. "Ellegra, come on!" Tamshie cried, pulling the princess from her reverie. She darted forward.
Arem seized her wrist, pulling her back to him and crushing her chest against his. "I'm sorry." His lips covered hers in a quick kiss, his hands making quick work of his belt and putting it in her hands. Ellegra pulled away and fastened it around her waist, along with both purses. She glanced back up at him. "Thank you."
"Stay out of sight." She nodded and turned to leave. His fingers grabbed at her waist again. "Ellegra." She turned back to him, a look of both hope and apprehension burning in her glassy eyes. "Don't come back here."
Ellegra's throat constricted, but she nodded and hurried away. She forced a ball of tears down her throat, just as she forced her feet to move farther and farther from her friend. Eighteen years of friendship— gone. She wiped the tears from her eyes.
The four of them ran down the sand dunes in quiet anticipation, their eyes locked on the glowing village ahead of them. Bouncing on her toes and nearly ripping Faine's arm from its socket, Romi squealed with excitement, glancing over her shoulder at Ellegra and Tamshie to seek their auras. Tamshie was equally as thrilled, but a part of her knew that this was no victory. It was banishment. She too looked back at Ellegra, a part of her wanting to console her friend. She couldn't begin to understand what it was like for her— everyone she loved believed her to be a monster, and would either kill her or chase her out of their kingdom. What did it feel like to be a monster? Lonely, Tamshie thought. Very lonely.
Ellegra kept her gaze on the sand beneath her feet, even as they approached the city limits. The village was small, the inhabitants staring and whispering as they marched through. The women locked away, men and young boys watched them hesitantly, eyeing the three women following behind Faine. He lifted his head, slitting his eyes at them. The bustle resumed, the chatter lively again.
Faine halted, and Romi stared at him curiously. Tamshie lingered behind beside Ellegra. "Well," he said gruffly. "We found your friend. And we're out of the Valley, so I'm done." He stepped towards Ellegra, an impassive wall shielding his eyes.
Ellegra's mouth bobbed, then closed. Of course— he did what she asked of him. This was as far as their "partnership" went. She was expecting this, why was she surprised? She untied her purse, feeling the weight of the bag. She pulled the string back and examined its contents before lacing it back up and tossing it at him. "You are. Thank you." Her eyes flickered to Romi, then back up to him. He stared at her coldly, his lips pressed together in a thin line. "Take care." She nodded to the two of them and stepped around them. Tamshie followed on her heels.
"Ellegra, what about Romi?" Tamshie asked. Her brows drew together in concern.
"What about her? She's with Faine. She'll be fine."
"You can't just assume that he's going to look after her. You said it yourself, he's a mercenary. They don't exactly travel with extra baggage. What do you think she is to him?"
Ellegra shrugged and walked on. "Why is that my problem, Tam? Maybe they'll stick together. Who knows. Maybe they'll get married one day and have tiny little fugitive babies. Happily ever after."
"Stop." Tamshie yanked on Ellegra's wrist. Wincing, Ellegra recoiled and drew her raw hand to her chest. Her eyes hardened. "This isn't right, and you know it."
Ellegra groaned.
"I walk with you?" said a small, quiet voice. The choppy Cureldin mixed with a thick Khalysrian accent made Tamshie's lips curl into relieved smile.
Tamshie grinned at her. "Of course." She linked their arms together and gave Romi's arm a gentle shake. Then she looked at Ellegra. Her eyes didn't leave room for argument.
Ellegra sighed and threw her shoulders up into a shrug. "Sure, why not." It's not like she won't be another mouth I can barely feed. Her eyes scanned the road around them. Faine was gone. A tinge of disappointment swept through her. She knew he would be leaving. Especially after what I said. She just didn't think she'd actually miss him. The annoying, arrogant fugitive with his incessant know-it-all attitude and curt comments would no longer degrade her ears. She should have considered herself lucky. What she'd asked of him had been a shot at a star, yet he'd managed to come through and get it done. In all honesty, she was beyond lucky.
❂
They walked down the street of the small village, eyes searching for a sign or shop that offered shelter or food. Each person they passed gave them a harsh look of disgust, several sneering at them. One spat at their feet and sneered, flashing six brown teeth and two black ones. Romi gasped, creeping closer on Ellegra's heels. The clay buildings became more scattered the farther they went, and the longer they walked the more Ellegra realized they were no longer in the business district, but now in the housing area. Light glowed from several stone huts, others completely blackened. Children's toys remained in the street, thrown about in the rush to get inside after spotting the three stragglers.
"Where are we going?" Tamshie asked, and even she couldn't keep the uncertainty from her voice.
Ellegra sighed, turning around in a circle and pushing herself onto her toes. "We're looking for an inn. Some place that offers shelter, maybe even a bed." Oh, how she yearned for a bed. Just the thought of the warm comfort it would bring made her knotted stomach unravel in the slightest.
"You won't find one here," chimed a child's voice. Romi and Tamshie let out small yelps, leaping into the air. Ellegra's hand darted to her sword, relaxing as a young girl stepped out from the shadows. "You're girls."
Ellegra gave her a small smile. "We are," she agreed, bending to one knee to stand equal with the girl. She couldn't have been more than seven, it marveled the three of them that she was out so late. "We're not from around here, and we are looking for a place to stay. Do you know of such a place that would help us?" The girl's eyes shifted from side to side, then up to the sky. She gnawed on her lip in thought. Then she turned and disappeared back into the shadows.
"You certainly have a way with kids, Princess," Tamshie remarked, giggling. Romi chuckled with her.
"Shut up." Ellegra spun back onto the road, keeping her hand on her sword as they walked. She felt a tug on her sleeve and looked down to find the young girl grinning up at her. She pulled Ellegra in the direction she'd come from, hurriedly stepping over rocks and fallen bricks that crumbled under their clumsy footfalls.
A women stood in the frame of the doorway to one of the homes, her head twisting back and forth. When her eyes settled on the child, she gasped and pushed herself out of the door. "Aleah!" Her arms wrapped around the girl, picking her up and pressing her head against her own. "What were you thinking? Your father will skin us both if he catches us outside." Her gaze fell on the others and she froze, dropping the little girl and pushing her behind her legs. "We don't want any trouble, sirs."
Ellegra stepped closer to them and into the light. "Neither do we, ma'am." She offered a smile. The mother's chest fell in relief, but her eyes didn't leave their faces. She slowly backed into the house. "We're just looking for an inn, someplace to stay for the night."
"You are women," she said incredulously, as if unable to comprehend how they were standing before her. "How are you out? Where are your husbands?"
Tamshie stepped from the rear. "I'm afraid we are unwed. We are not from here. We're not from Asaan, ma'am. We're travelers."
Ellegra nodded. "Yes, we are, and we are searching for an inn."
The mother scoffed. "They will not take you. With no man with you, you three are breaking the law."
The little girl tugged on her mother's skirts. "Maja, they need our help."
"Hush, Aleah. We've nothing to offer them." The woman guided her child inside. "I'm sorry, but we cannot help you. Goodnight."
Ellegra and the others gave a small bow to her and wished her the same. The door closed with a solid yet quiet thud, and darkness once again embraced them. Romi sighed, her arm wrapped firmly around her churning stomach. "What should be done now?" she asked, and Tamshie couldn't help but smile at her.
Sighing, Ellegra shrugged her shoulders and turned back to face them. Tamshie was just as distraught, but she hid her panic behind a wall of stability as they faced each other. "I suppose we should find somewhere private, not as opened. It wouldn't be the first time to sleep in the sand, would it?" The three of them shared smiles.
Suddenly, the door to the abode swung open. Aleah jumped out, a bag swinging in her hand as she ran toward them. Ellegra crouched to meet her. "Maja made dessert tonight. Dried peaches and apricots. I put them in this bag for you." She heaved and thrust the bag into Ellegra's lap. She leaned closer into her ear. "Are you really a princess?" she whispered.
Ellegra's heart jumped. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. She heard us, she chastised herself. Sighing, she rested her hands on the young girl's shoulders and backed away to meet her eyes. "If I were to answer yes, would you keep it a secret?"
The girl nodded eagerly. "I would, I promise." She stepped forward and rested her forehead against Ellegra's. "I promise to never tell a soul."
"Thank you." Pulling away, Ellegra gave the girl a bow. Then she and the others turned and began to walk further down the street, away from the housing district and the village itself.