by Bri Sailor
“Your father requests that you join him in his study at once.” Rússe looked down her nose at the princess, she looked to Ehren. “Your presence is not required, Your Highness.”
The captain eyeballed Ky and then turned on her heel and led them in the direction of the study. The wary warrior flipped her hood up. Their footsteps echoed throughout the large hallways as the torches cast long shadows on the walls. The palace was so massive that it took them some time to reach the study. As they walked down the final hallway Ky noticed something out of the corner of her eye. The warrior’s hand slowly moved to the hilt of her sword.
Suddenly, there was a yell from behind the pillar and a figure dressed in a white billowy shirt and pants leapt out from its hiding spot and tackled Atreyis to the ground. The guards and Ky sprang into action, in less than a second four spears and a sword were all aimed at this mysterious black-haired attacker. The attacker had the princess pinned underneath them, her arms were held down and the attacker sat promptly on her stomach and yelled.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again! The next time you get the bright idea to run away take me with you! I thought we had already established this! Are you mad woman?!”
Rússe’s face was drawn into a tight glower as she crossed her arms. The princess lay still, stunned at the sudden onslaught. Slowly, she cracked a guilty smile.
“Sorry? In my defense you were away at your cousin’s wedding for almost three weeks. Next time I will be sure to take you. I promise.”
The attacker nodded her head. “That’s all I ask.”
“Taryn?”
“Yes?”
“Would you please get off of me? You’re making it rather difficult to breathe.”
Taryn jumped up and helped the princess back up. Atreyis didn’t even have time to react before the girl engulfed her in a bear hug and wouldn’t let go. She gave in and hugged her back; tears welling up and her feeling all the more a fool for leaving like she did.
Cora smiled at the reunion. “I see how it is. Obviously, she’s the favorite.”
Taryn rolled her eyes and gave Cora a bear hug as well. Ky looked the girl over. She seemed to be about the same age as the princess. She was a few inches shorter but had an athletic build. Her ebony skin and her chocolate brown eyes caused Ky to pause a moment, she was the spitting image of the palace captain, and the way she carried herself was more like a politician than a future captain of the palace guard.
“And I missed you too, High Priestess.” smiled Taryn.
It was then that she noticed the ominous figure dressed in black with a sword drawn and ready. She nodded in Ky’s direction.
“So who’s Tall, Dark and Armed?”
Ky scowled and sheathed her weapon, crossed her arms and flexed, allowing a dark energy to pulsate from her. She dropped her voice to a low, husky tone.
“Ky.”
Atreyis’ eyes bounced back and forth between Ky and Taryn, unsure of how her best friend would react; she wasn’t one for new people per her instilled protective palace guard tendencies. The princess reached for her and whispered in her ear.
“I will tell you everything but now is not the time. Meet me in the morning at our place and I will explain everything.”
Taryn nodded in understanding.
Atreyis looked to Ky. “I think it would be best if you waited out here. The same goes for you, Ehren, Taryn. Cora, you can speak with them now if you wish.”
Ky refused to move. “If it’s all the same to the princess, I will be accompanying her.” She bowed.
The princess turned a bright shade of red at the formality. Ky was seamlessly able to switch between a soldier and noble. Taryn studied the exchange.
“Ahem.” Rússe loudly cleared her throat and stared disapprovingly at her daughter before taking her leave. Taryn caught her eye and felt embarrassed.
“Your choice.” Shrugged Taryn as she tried to brush off her mother’s look. “Good luck.” She grabbed Ehren and walked off arm in arm chatting away about the wedding.
Now alone, the three girls turned to the door; with every step Atreyis’ heart pounded harder and her legs were begging her to run. She got along with her parents in a civil manner, and as she grew older that’s all the further it went. With clammy hands she reached for the oak door and took a deep, albeit slightly painful breath and stepped into the study. The creaking door roused the king from his readings. His dark curly hair was absent a crown but the air and manner that he held himself suggested royalty. The short beard he sported was just as dark but with a few streaks of gray. He wore a purple shirt with a blue and silver sash with black pants. The king was a beast of a man, with large broad shoulders and strong arms, and the same piercing blue eyes as his children. At the sight of his wayward daughter he dropped the papers and in a few strides he picked her up in a fierce hug. The queen jumped up from her lounge and joined the embrace. Atreyis couldn’t believe what was happening. Where was the screaming and yelling?
“Atreyis, what possessed you to do such a thing?” her mother cried softly. “You know you could have been killed?”
“I know.” Sniffed the princess. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson the hard way.” She winced.
Her parents let go. Long locks of chestnut hair framed her mother’s sad light blue eyes, and a royal diadem crowned her forehead. The queen wore a long lavender dress that flowed fluidly with her every movement. Atreyis looked every bit like her mother Arainya. The queen wiped her eyes.
“When your brother told us that you had run away, we didn’t think we would ever see you again.”
Atreyis sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I’m alright now. If it wasn’t for Ky…I’m fine, mother, you don’t have to worry anymore. I’m home.” She hugged her mother again.
At the mention of the unfamiliar name the king and queen noticed the looming hooded figure in black.
Cora chimed in. “This is Ky, she found your daughter and brought her to me.”
Ky pulled back her hood and bowed deeply. “Your Majesties.”
Toran held up his hands. His sapphire blue eyes flashed. “Cora, the letter you sent us never mentioned someone retrieving my daughter. What aren’t you telling me?” he turned to his daughter. “What did you do?”
The princess looked at Ky and Cora. “Well, I—I—” she stammered.
She swallowed hard and lifted her shirt to reveal the slash across her abdomen. The queen gasped. Her father’s eyes threatened to pop out of his head.
“It’s not as bad as it was.” Said the bashful princess. “And my leg is in much better shape too. Cora healed me, but it was Ky that saved my life. She is the one who found me and stitched me up, I owe everything to her.”
Her father didn’t even hear her.
“Who did this?” he growled.
“He is no longer a threat if that’s what you mean.” Stammered the princess. “Ky saved me and brought me back through Stone Shield.”
The king glared at the warrior, tall and blonde, dressed in black, and looking every bit lethal. She stepped to the princess’ side and bowed again.
“Your Majesties. The priestess saved the princess from certain death; I only helped. Your daughter was more than capable of handling her own, I merely intervened when it became absolutely necessary. Her skills nearly rival my own.”
“I highly doubt that.” Said the king as he crossed his arms
The queen was flabbergasted. “You were in a fight? What possessed you to do such a thing?”
Atreyis defended herself. “I was trying to help save some people that were being robbed, mother! I couldn’t very well let them be killed when I was capable of doing something to stop that.”
“We’ve been over this before. You are not as strong as your brother.” Countered the queen.
“Mother…”
The king was eyeballing Ky throughout the argument. There was something…
“You, Ky.” He interrupted. “How did you
happen upon the skirmish? Passing by perhaps?”
“I was camping in the woods.” She never took her eyes off of him. “I heard shouts and went to discover their origin. That’s when I happened across your daughter and the thieves she was fighting.”
The king stroked his beard. “How am I to know that you weren’t one of the attackers? Or possibly orchestrated the whole matter?”
“Your Highness implies that I had foreknowledge of the princess running off as well as to her identity and that she was even at the border. I swear to you that I had no part in the events that happened in the forest. My true intent lies here in the palace. I actually came to see My Lord to warn him of an impending attack.”
“Impending attack?” he laughed. “I have protected my people since this war started. For nearly twenty years many have tried to break our defenses and for nearly twenty years they all have failed. My dear girl, you are mistaken.”
“I don’t believe she is, father. She has given me no reason thus far to not trust her. If you must know she is an exiled soldier of the Black Army.” Blurted Atreyis.
The king’s eyes began to glow blue. Atreyis kicked herself for speaking before thinking. How could she be so brash?
“A soldier of the Black Army?” growled the king. “How could you be so foolish, Atreyis?”
He looked the warrior over again. Something was nagging in the back of his mind. Bright blond hair. Tall and muscular. Part of a dragon tattoo visible on her shoulder. Suddenly, his face drew into a tight glower.
“Now I know why you seem so familiar. You are no mere soldier are you, Ky?” He got in her face. “Or should I say, General?”
The whole room fell deathly silent.
“Guards!” roared the king.
A handful of armed guards rushed into the room.
“General?” gasped Cora.
“How could you, Atreyis? She could have been sent here as a spy or an assassin!” cried the queen.
“Father, what are you saying? Ky, please tell him he’s wrong.” Pleaded Atreyis. Everything was happening so fast.
“Arrest this woman!” yelled the king.
Ky offered no resistance and allowed herself to be subdued.
“No!” yelled Atreyis. “Father, please! She saved my life! You cannot do this!”
Cora and the queen tried unsuccessfully to hold back the distraught princess who nearly knocked over her father in protest. Her eyes started to glow. The king gripped her arms tightly and shook her.
“I am doing what is best for this family and our people. You say that she saved your life, how do you know this is so? Have you forgotten who the enemy is? Did you ever stop to think that this was all a ploy to get you to bring her here as a spy like your mother said? Or Goddess forbid, an assassin?” he said through clenched teeth.
Atreyis felt her legs go weak. How could she have been so foolish to think that Ky would be remotely welcomed here? Images flashed as she replayed what she remembered of the events in the forest. Ky had given her valid reasons for her innocence and those men seemed genuinely surprised to see her. And she had killed them all, or at least that’s what she claimed. She could have been spying on the border the entire time and saw the princess as an opportunity. Guilt came crashing through the princess’ mental faculties and overtook her. Atreyis’ world was beginning to crumble around her.
“Take her to the dungeon.” Said the king to the guards.
“Ky—’’ croaked the princess. It was all that she was able to get out.
Chapter 8
The guards showed no mercy. They pushed and shoved Ky through the palace until they arrived at the gate. It stood like a wrought iron gaping mouth to the dungeon and its spiraling staircase pulled its prey down into the blackness. With every step the air grew heavy and thick. The only sounds were the footsteps of the soldiers and their prisoner and her clinking chains. The irons that were clasped around her wrists and ankles were bound together tightly and enchanted with a spell ensuring that she wouldn’t be able to break free. With her true identity known, the king didn’t want to take any risks; he knew all too well that the adept general could easily break normal chains. The guard behind her shoved her down the stairs and kept a sword at her back as another pulled at her restraints, dragging her into the black. The darkness receded at the foot of the stairs as bright torches and fires illuminated the dungeon.
It was a giant cavern that housed two levels of cells. Large, dripping stalactites hung ominously from the ceiling like fangs, ready to devour the prisoners. Ragged prisoners roused themselves from their dirty straw beds to catch a glimpse of the newest addition to their realm of darkness. A few of the cells were rather large and held multiple prisoners and were made of simple iron bars that were meant to hold repeat minor offenders. Others were much smaller and had massive, thick bars that housed those that were of a more special concern, Descended. A mix of red, blue, green and purple eyes of varying from dim to bright stared intently at her. The guards bypassed the reinforced cells and dragged Ky down to the floor of the cavern to a veritable pit of a cell, a monolithic bastion of bedrock. The prisoners, seeing where the woman was being led, began shouting and yelling and banging on their bars.
The outside of the cell was solid rock and a sole iron door was the only way in or out. A prison guard stood waiting. He was grizzled and very large, and Ky could smell him even from a distance. A devilish smile revealed crooked yellow teeth. He reached for a huge crank and notch-by-notch raised the door. As it retreated into the rock Ky could see that it was nearly a foot thick with only a small slat for passing food and checking on the warrior. As she looked into the cell he gave her a kick. She stumbled to the ground and the iron door slammed down behind her with a deafening boom.
“Enjoy your stay…while you can…” laughed the dirty guard.
The warrior sighed loudly and stood up, brushing off what dirt and grime she could. Their handling was much gentler than she had expected. As her eyes adjusted to the dark she was able to take in her new surroundings. The stone floor was wet and covered in dirt and the walls were scarred from the tools that had carved out her prison long ago from the bedrock. The dim torchlight flickered through the slit in the door, barely illuminating the small wooden slat that was meant to be a bed. The chains softly clinked as she shuffled to the bed and flopped down, the old wood creaking beneath her weight. The hours crept by; she tracked the changing of the guards and had figured that four days had passed. The cold and musty cell was getting old and she was jumping out of her skin. It was like being a caged animal. Why did she ever agree to this mission? And why had she ever decided that this was the way to go about it? Lusha would be beyond thrilled to see the warrior in her current state. Playing the part of the weak prisoner and captive was beneath a warrior such as herself. Why did that witch even want Atreyis and her brother? And what was the point of fighting the Aznurro at their strongest defense? She was already in the palace. Why not just kill the king herself? That would solve all of their problems, or at least make things easier.
She rubbed her face and kicked at the floor. Killing Toran would probably be the best idea in the long run, but if she were to ever get her command back, she would have to prove to her king that she was able to follow orders and complete her mission. Being forced to be alone with her thoughts without something to distract her was something the warrior hadn’t faced in a very long time. It had allowed too much doubt to creep in.
“Why do I even want it back?” she finally asked herself. “All you’ve really been doing for the last two years is doing that witch’s bidding.”
Ky stopped pacing and let out a roar of frustration that echoed throughout the entire dungeon. It stirred the other prisoners and they began yelling and banging on their bars, egging her on.
“Quiet! All of you!” shouted the guards, but their voices were drowned out in the rising din.
The warrior felt her anger building and her eyes began glowing an evil red. She hated being told what to
do, and that’s all Lusha ever did. Ultrek had always trusted her and allowed her to do what was best for the kingdom. With her at the helm the Khenná were going to rise up and once more become the ruling force in the world. No longer would anyone look down on them as classless, savage beasts. It was her destiny. And now the one person that she had looked to, a person she had allowed to become a father figure was wasting away before her very eyes. Muscles tensed, she stood as still as a statue. Enough was enough. Damn her orders and damn that witch. It was time to take matters into her own hands. Slowly, she began pulling her arms apart, her iron confinements stretched taut, grunting and groaning she tried to break them. Whatever enchantment was upon them was strong and they held. The unforgiving restraints fueled her rage. Nothing made by mortal men had ever contained a powerful goddess such as herself. The air crackled with electricity. She took a deep breath and let loose a mighty roar that shook the earth around her. The prisoners yelled louder. She pulled at her chains with all her strength. Little by little they began to give way under the immense power. The irons were on the verge of breaking when a voice cut through the cacophony surrounding the warrior.
“KY!”
#
“But, father! She saved my life!” shouted the princess, her face was red and tears were threatening to break free. So much for thinking that if the king had a night to sleep on it he might rethink his actions. She woke up extra early to make sure that she was able to see the king before his royal duties took him away. His study was empty so she stormed to the throne room and found him sitting amongst his advisers. The throne room was similar in size to the main chamber of the temple. Large dark blue stone pillars held up the high vaulted ceiling. Two great white marble thrones with gold inlays sat perched on a mound of steps and overlooked the entire room. The wall behind them was nothing but glass that let in the bright sunlight and showed the awe inspiring sight of the sea that expanded towards the horizon. The king strode over to her.