When I walked out of the queen's waiting room, Kezira stood outside waiting for me. I did not have to tell her what had happened, she could read me as easily as I could read her. Kezira is my ladies maid, I wouldn't go as far as saying she is my best friend. I don't t keep friends but Kezira comes close enough.
"None of this makes sense. Her majesty just wants me to run away, what of my soldiers, who's going to lead them?" I asked Kezira in annoyance as I walked away from the door and stalked down the hallway.
The ladies of the court knew better than to test me, they all walked briskly like scared kittens, eager to get away from the warrior princess before they experienced my wrath. Wouldn't be the first time.
"Azura calm down, I think it's mostly for your protection" Kezira said as she walked briskly in an attempt to keep up with me. Kez is the only person person apart from my parents who calls me by that name.
"It was a rhetorical question, if you're not going back me up, then please let me rant." I groaned at her.Kezira wisely didn't say anything, and I just kept muttering profanities, no princess should know under my breath. I was so engrossed in my rant, that I didn't notice Collin coming towards me with a wide grin on his face.
Collin Joseph Never, he's a member of the court and thinks he's my friend, just because I haven't chopped off his finger.
I don't hate a lot of people, but I have a list of people I strongly dislike and Collin makes the top of my list.
He is always happy.That might not seem offensive, but you wait until you find him grinning all the time. Even at 6 am in the morning when all I want to do to train and my brain is muddled with sleep, then you'll understand my feelings towards him.The only reason I tolerate him is that his family is important. Well, that, and the pest is the only one besides Kezira who speaks to me normally.
"What" I asked sharply as I came to a sudden halt in front of him.
"Princess, you seem happy to see me, are you fine ?" He asked as he grinned and wiggled his "My name is Arielle, and you may address me as Her Royal Highness. Princess is my title" I told him for the thousandth time, but as usual, he ignored me.
"Have you been training? You never smile, instead of learning to fight, you should learn to smile" he said without breaking his grin.
I swear it's a talent, I was about to explode when Kezira, held my arm and muttered some excuse about meetings.
I didn't say a word and tried to calm myself down as she pulled me down the hall to my chambers.
"Thanks, Kez, I was about to bite off his face." I said as I pushed open the door to my lounge.
My chambers are spacious. I recently moved in from my old chambers now I have two rooms, a lounge, a dining area, and visiting space.
"I wasn't bluffing. We do have a meeting, with the captain of the guard. You have to know the plan and details concerning your disguise." Kezira said as she crossed her arms and stared at me.
"Disguise? What do you mean disguise? No one outside the walls knows what I look like, so why would I need one ?"
Her majesty said I was going away, but no one said anything about disguise. I moved past Kezira to sit down on one of the four recliners lined together near the room, facing the glass wall.
Sunlight drifted through the glass wall and warmed my skin lightly.
My lounge is very comfortable, while I hate frills, I do have a penchant for expensive, beautiful things."I'm guessing you have no idea, where w-" a knock sounded on my door and cut short whatever Kezira was about to say.
"Please get it" I told Kez as I relaxed on the recliner and closed my eyes.
It's probably a servant with my meal. Although that is Kezira's job, another servant usually "Zura, it's the captain of the guard, and it's time for the meeting, can I let him in?" Kezira asked as she opened the door to let him in.
She didn't wait for my response. The nerve of the girl, i don't know why I put up with her.
"Kezira, please show him to the visiting room I'll join you there"
I said as I stood up and used a minute to adjust my clothing and my image. When I was sure I looked like a slab of ice my mother would be proud of, I walked out and joined them in the visiting room.
I sat down but didn't invite the Captain to sit. It's a control technique my mother taught me.
Funny how whenever I think of her she's my mother, but when I talk to her, she's just her royal majesty the queen of Berravin.I looked directly at the captain and sure enough, he squirmed uncomfortably.
"Yes?" I asked while I raised a perfectly arched brow, another technique designed to make him nervous, also learned from my mother.
"Your royal highness, I am here to tell you the plans for your trip." he said as he tried his best to remain calm.
I blinked once, the only
indication I heard him. He probably heard of my impassive methods of communication from gossip because he continued and told me all about the stupid elaborate plan.
"Your highness, you and your lady's maid will go to Revillon and stay there for a few months.
Revillon is the only neutral kingdom where you can be safe from war. You will be going there under the guise of an important member of the court.You don't have to worry, it's safe. They'll never attack Revillon, and if they do, you'll be in the palace." He said as he tried to look everywhere but at me.'Safe?' I once again asked another one-worded question.
Kezira stood still behind him, trying her best to hold her laughter. She made a sympathetic face and I gave her a small smile.
"Yes, your highness, safe. Your lady's maid knows all the details, so you've nothing to worry about." He began to twitch and used his kerchief to wipe off his sweat.
"And what role will my lady's maid be playing?"
He coughed and looked at me shocked. He probably thinks I'm crazy for caring about my lady's maid. Kez and I have kept our somewhat friendship secret, because of how obsessed my mother is with my safety.
She would replace Kezira in a heartbeat if she realized how close we were."I am sorry your Highness, I didn't quite catch what you said" he replied.
I didn't reply to him I just raised a brow while I maintained eye contact with him.
At this point, Kez looked like she was about to burst from laughter. She covered her mouth, held her belly, and shook quietly while trying not to make a noise.
I looked at the guard and maintained eye contact , he probably thinks he misheard me. He stood for 2 minutes looking at me until he realised I wasn't about to repeat my sentence.
"I am sorry your Highness, I thought - I was mistaken, sorry. Your lady's maid will go with you to Revillon as a palace servant."
" And?" I asked
"I will send your box of disguises to the fashion team, they will be here, after your dinner to work with you. I have prepared an airtight portfolio for you and - em, of course, your lady's maid," he replied.
"Is that all?"
"Yes your highness."
"Leave "
He was barely out the door before Kezira burst into giggles.
I really scared the crap out of him.
"Did you see his face? He was so frightened " Kez asked in between fits of laughter.
"Glad to see my antics amuse you, her majesty will be proud" I replied as I gave Kezira a small smile.
BEAMS OF SUN RAYS STREAMED ACROSS my bedroom unto my face waking me up. I yawned, sat up and looked at the curtains where kezira stood. She was already fully dressed in a brown simple gown made in Revillonian style which is our disguise. Presto, the palace designer came last night after dinner with boxes full of clothing, underthings, jewellery, and the head scarves worn by the Revillon women .The people of Revillon are very superstitious and it is believed that some piece of magic still dwells there. They tell the story of the gods quite differently, while we in Gaham remember the gods for the wicked, selfish, powerful ancients they are. The Revillionians worship them, they paint pictures of the war as a sacred thing, they believe in the gifts bestowed by the gods. Fools, the lot of them, their gods have abandoned them but they don't know it yet."We leave today, so I would like to sleep in, if I'm going to give a stellar performance then I need all the rest I can get." I mumbled
I FELT THE HARD GRAVEL PRICKING MY SKIN before I heard the noises. The gruff voices of strange men laughing and jeering, the injured horses whining helplessly, A girl screaming with a voice so loud, it pierced my muddled brain. But I couldn't command her to stop, I couldn't even move to look at her, every cell in my body hurt but it was strangely peaceful. I mean If I died, then I would be free of all responsibilities and unspoken pressure. Maybe the queen would even miss me, I know she'll definitely not cry at my funeral --that's a major sign of weakness. Okay, lets see what I can feel. I think I'm laying down on the ground, maybe under the carriage because I can feel a heavy weight on my hips but I can't feel anything in my legs. My Sarfar(Revillionain scarf) had been ripped away, but the wind couldnt move my hair. My long tresses were stuck to my face in the places where there was blood. The screaming stopped abruptly and I opened my eyes. Okay, I was right, I'm on the floor
I COULD FEEL A number of things. I could feel the pain in my bad leg and the ache in my slightly better leg, I could feel the cool midday breeze on my bare chest where my clothes had been ripped off, I could feel the rough hand palming my right breast. I opened my eyes quickly and tried to push the offending hand away, but I could only muster a weak pat. Loud laughter followed my measly attempt at attacking the hand, and I looked around. I was outside the tent now, in something like a mainsquare. Several men surrounded me, and they bickered over whether or not I was worth much. "I reckon she'll do alright. She's got a lil spirit that's for sure" A man whose name I later learnt was Tim said. He was the one who was feeling my breasts. I tried to push him away again but that just ignited more laughter. Another man dressed in Revillionian attire stepped towards me and started caressing my bad leg. "But I doubt she can do much with that leg. I don't buy damaged goods." "Nonsense! We g
THE NEXT MORNING, I wish I could say I was awoken by beams of sunlight or maybe even the chirping of birds. Those would have been pleasant.But no.When I woke up, I couldn't even identify, if it was night or noon. The tent was that thick. With no windows and just a door flap, its a wonder we didn't suffocate.Somehow, during the course of the night, Kezira had moved and now layed curved in on herself. I don't know how she was so comfortable sleeping there. Hell even I, don't know how I slept through the night. Must be some of the magic left in my system.When the flaps were thrown open for the first time that day, I knew we had arrived somewhere critical.I could feel the difference in the air. The men whispering excitedly among themselves. The new spring they had in their steps. Even the horses seemed brighter somehow. Like they knew something good was up.The braavasi are normads, they move, they capture, they trade.But its only natural that throughout the years, some of them had
I DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT LONG to find out, cause the next hallucination that came was indistinguishable from reality. One minute I was trudging along the line and the next, I was swamped by a dead ringing in my skull that made me scream and fall to the ground. For the next few minutes, I wavered in and out of consiousness.I vaguely remember them putting me in a crate filled with other items that were to be sold.I remember the musty smell of the crate and how cramped my limbs were. The crate stopped once- I thinkCause I remember the smell of Missy's poultice applied on my leg.When I eventually regained full conciousness, we had arrived. My leg was healed and I was a mess.The crate was opened by the goons and when I was let out, I stood on my feet.I smelt as bad as the stable hand we had in the palace and I'm sure I looked way worse.The other captives were no better.As we had already been sold, our masters were waiting at the port of entry to collect us.We had arrived Mistlyn, th
THE BATHING ROOM was tiny, dingy and smelled like piss.It was dimly lit with a torch that did little to provide light. It was lined with tiny cubicle-like bathroom stalls about ten of them. The stalls each had no doors, one small shower head fixed above and green algae growing on the walls.The room was filled with the sound of some of the girls crying. Some of the women working at the brothel were just leaving the bathroom when we entered. Madam Claire stood at a corner of the bathroom quietly inspecting us with the help of two of her goons. Some of the girls who were branded before me, were already naked and being pushed into the stalls by the two goons who worked for madam Claire. Kezira and I hung back, unprepared to take off our clothes in front of the men.A small meek looking woman who was introduced as Merra pushed small cut pieces of cheap soap into the hands of all the girls present including us. When the goons were moving their inspection closer to Kez and I, I unconc
THE DOOR TO that dark room opened the next day, at least I think it was the next day, I wouldn't know. Since Madam Claire has decided I was a bad investment, her soldiers didn't bother wasting her food on me.It was so cold, alone in my thin strip of a dress, I was freezing and my teeth were chattering by the time they came to take me away. I wasn't taken through the brothel, lest my dirt and smell irritate the important clients. No, I was taken through the rear of the brothel. I only saw Kezira once, and it was enough to break my spirit and stop me from fighting.She had taken a bath and looked considerably cleaner. She had makeup on, the rosy blush bringing life to her cheeks. She stood beside a client and when he whispered in her ear, she laughed. I was struggling against the guards hauling me towards the rear exit when I heard the sound of Kez's laughter. The moment I saw her laughing, all the fight went out of me, and I just fell limp and allowed them to carry me away.I was
NEEMA TOOK ME down a corridor to a series of rooms that I was sure belonged to the servants.We stopped in front of one of the wooden doors and she brought out a ring of keys from within the folds of her dress.I watched her carefully as she unlocked the room door and handed the key over to me.She obviously had another key, the way she gave me was too casual. I would have to device a different way of locking my room from within.“Comin lemme show you where the stuff are,” Neema said to me as she walked into the room and I hurriedly followed behind her.The room was tiny, it had one small bed, a table and chair.That was it. No clothes for wardrobe or anything go like that.I had stayed in worse though. Camping with my soldiers was sometimes different so I could adapt and manage for a while.Neema walked over to a connecting door and opened it. I coughed a bit from all the dust in the room.“Sorry dere, the room’s a bit old eh,” Neema said with a chuckle as she walked into an even