DEAL WITH THE SLAVCAN PRINCE I

Brenna rode to her uncle’s house- her mother’s brother. He was part of the king’s court and would know a lot about the Slavcans. He was always one to help her out and accommodate her excesses. When the first queen died, she quickly related her intentions on being the next queen to him and he did his best to make sure she was where she was now.

She arrived at his house and met him smoking outside.

“Brenna, what are you doing outside the castle walls by this time?”, he scolded while sitting up.

Brenna came down from the horse easily and ran to him, “Are you one to scold me for sneaking out while you’re smoking at your age”, she then sat down on the chair close by, “There’s an issue on ground, I just couldn’t sit still and fold my hands”.

Her uncle, Morat threw the cigarette away and smiled, “About Princess Kaliyah?”

Brenna hissed, “Even you have heard what happened”

“Of course, I am Morat”, he said and chuckled, “For my wife to also have heard, then the news is fast spreading. I am guessing the king wants Kenna to take her place”.

“Exactly! You know I can’t let this happen. The Slavcans are known for their brutality and racist tendencies. Will they really accept a maiden from our land? Either way, my daughter will not be a political pawn!”, Brenna said angrily, “So I want to meet the Slavcan prince personally.

Morat looked at her in shock and laughed, “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

He was laughing but Brenna was dead serious. She was determined to meet him this night, “I know it will be easy to enter the Slavcan territories from this parts of our land. I need your help”.

“What you are asking of me is a very difficult thing. How can I help smuggle the queen out of the land without the permission of the king?”, he asked with a look of uncertainty on his face.

“Right now, I am not the queen. I am Brenna, a helpless mother who wants to save her child from a lifetime of suffering and animosity”, Brenna pleaded with her eyes as she said this.

Morat paused for a while, “How will you pass their borders? They heavily secure their lands”

“I am with one of the seals of the king”, she said without skipping a beat.

Morat stared at her in awe and shock, “You are something else”. He stood up and went inside. He probably went to tell his wife, Brenna thought. Soon, he was out. He went to his backyard to get his horse and together, they rode to the borders with the speed of the wind. Brenna didn’t want to waste any time besides, she had to return to the castle the next day.

While they were approaching the borders, they saw 2 men on horses, riding towards them slowly.

“They look like Slavcan soldiers”, Brenna said, her voice beginning to shake.

“Do not fear, we shall pass”, Morat simply said.

“Who are you?”, one of the soldiers asked.

“I am Morat, the Queen’s assistant. She is the Queen of the Tamars, Queen Brenna Elliot”.

The soldiers laughed heartily. Even their laughter was coarse and irritating. Brenna couldn’t imagine her daughter getting married to one of them.

While they were laughing, Brenna brought out the seat and handed it over to one of the soldiers.

“The seal of the Tamar king. Come, take a look at it, is it real?”, the first soldier asked the second one who became speechless at the sight of the seal.

“Forgive me, but why are you here this late and with this man alone”, the first soldier asked.

“I have to see your prince urgently”, she replied.

“it is too late to see the Prince now”, the second soldier replied rudely.

“She has a personal appointment with the Prince, why on earth will the Queen risk coming here this late”, Morat lied effortlessly. Brenna’s eyes widened at the type of lie he spurted out but she was quick to school her expressions.

The soldiers looked at them with scrutinizing gazes before one of them broke the silence, “Follow us”.

The four of them rode into the Slavcan empire. Brenna was shaking. She had seen Kings and Queens but the Slavcan royalty had quite a reputation of being rude, heartless and brutal. She wondered how this would go but of course, she had a plan B if plan A didn’t work out fine.

The Slavcan prince, Valen Steel was known far and wide for his brutal ways, following the footsteps of his father. He was the only son and so, the sole successor. Rumours had it that his mother personally orchestrated the murder of any male child their emperor fathered. This alone was a terrifying rumour about them. He was training on the archery grounds when a soldier ran towards him.

“Your Highness, the Tamar Queen is here”, the soldier said with his head bowed, “2 soldiers are escorting her and her companion here”

Valen raised an eyebrow, “The Tamar Queen?”. He was supposedly engaged to their princess. He wondered why their Queen was here this late.

“It is late. I’ll see them tomorrow”, he replied.

“She said it is quite urgent and that She has an appointment with you”, the soldier said. He was already starting to shake.

Valen smirked wondering why she lied and what the urgent situation was. It was probably about the rumours of his betrothed becoming pregnant. He had heard about it and was waiting for his father to say something about it.

“Take her to the second courtroom, I’ll be there in 10 minutes”, Valen said, threw his bow on the floor and started walking towards the courtroom.

In no time, he was there. Brenna and Morat were already waiting for him there.

“You rode fast”, Valen commented as he sat down.

Morat and Brenna bowed their heads respectfully, “Greetings, prince”.

“Welcome to my empire”, he replied curtly, “To what do I owe this night visit?”

Brenna turned to Morat, “Can you please excuse us?” Morat looked at her with a shocked expression.

“Leave us and wait outside”, came the quick order from Valen.