by Nisa Ryan
My eyes slid over to Niam, so not only was he not an orphan, but he was wealthy as well? My father had spent hard-earned money to teach him, to feed and clothe him, and now my father might be dead.
Noël waived a dismissive hand through the air, “You are welcome to any of the luxuries aboard my ship. I have arranged a hot bath for you and a change of clothes. We will dine later. Though you’ve done a marvelous job of caring for your friend, my physician will take over now. Our medicine is far superior.”
With that, he disappeared down into the belly of the ship, and I wasted no time in confronting Niam more directly. My face was red with anger as I clenched and unclenched my fists and glared at him. Niam frowned but didn’t say anything, he simply dropped his eyes to the deck. Looking very much like a scolded child.
I raised a hand to hit him again, and he made no motion to stop me. Instead, he stood very still and held his head down. This wasn’t the Niam I knew. What was really going on? The Niam I knew would never back down from me, he would never be so reserved. Instead I dropped my hand and turned to leave, but Niam grabbed my arm, his fingers wrapping around my bicep to stop me, “Raina, listen to me. You’re in more danger than you know but if you -”
I spun around, jerking my arm out of his hand and cutting him off, “The only person in danger here is you Niam. I swear to the gods that if Julian if he...”
Angry tears filled my eyes. Niam looked uncomfortable and began to back away, sliding a hand down his face. He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it and looked away as I turned and hurried back down to Julian’s side.
When I got back to the room, an older man was already in the there with Julian. He was checking the stitches I had painstakingly sewn to close the wounds when I walked in. The man was balding and his skin, like Niams, was dark and his eyes were a dark shade of jade green. The man smiled at me, and I was instantly disarmed, he meant no harm, “The work is outstanding, you trained as a healer?”
I shook my head, “No, but my father was an accomplished soldier before he left the military to raise me after my mother passed.”
The man nodded and began to pack up the set of needles and bandages that were laid out beside him on a small wooden tray, “I will leave him be; however, I did give him something to help with the fever and possible infections.”
I nodded my thanks and knelt down beside Julian, I watched the steady rise and fall of his chest while wishing he would open his eyes and tell me that everything would be fine. The healer smiled and placed a hand over one of mine, his touch was gentle and his face kind and reassuring. He nodded his chin towards Julian’s sleeping form.
“He is a strong young man. I am sure he will recover given time to rest. He will be very thirsty and hungry when he awakes though he might not know it. You’ll have to force him to eat and drink a little before he goes back to sleep,” the healer continued, “And keep him in bed.”
I nodded again, reaching out a hand and placing it on Julian’s forehead, he did feel much cooler now when before he was sweating from fever. I turned to the old man, “Thank you. My name is -”
“Raina, yes, I know. I’ve been waiting for you for a very long time. My name is Kairo Melstre, you may call me Kai.”
I smiled and nodded, “Yes. How is it that you know me? Have we met? It seems like everyone here knows more than I do...”
Kai grinned and chuckled, he was missing several teeth, but his smile was still pleasant, “Yes, but you were very young when I last saw you. But that is for Lord Noël and Lord Niam to explain.”
I frowned, Lord Niam? Was he indeed that much more powerful than he made himself out to be? I shook my head sadly. I don’t think I could ever believe anything he ever said again. Kai smiled at me, “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? That those two young fools are the heirs to the Zindhar Empire?”
“Sin-dar?” was the closest I could get to the way he had said it. Kai smiled at me gently and patted my head,
“Close enough. You should bathe and rest, the journey will be at least a few days longer. Your friend will heal so don’t fret,” he said. I paused, blinking slowly as I thought over his words,
“Wait. Are you trying to say that...they are royalty?” I gasped. The old man bobbed his head and held his hands out, “Certainly, did you not know?” he asked.
I shook my head, “I’ve never even heard of...Sin-dar,” I muttered to myself and then to the old man, “Wait. A few days? Why so long?” I asked, alarm making my voice tight. Kai smiled gently and patted my head as if I was a small child, “The ocean isn’t easy to cross my dear. But never fear, our Captain is excellent. Now, I will show you where you can wash and change. Alright?”
I nodded gratefully and followed him down the hall to another room. When the door swung open, I found a deep wooden tub that was already filled to the brim with hot water. Nearby a change of folded clothing rested on a table along with a variety of soaps and shampoos. I thanked Kai and closed the door. After all we had been through, a hot bath to ease the pain in my joints and to wash away the smell of smoke and the blush of soot would be a much-appreciated luxury.
Kai continued down the corridor as an image shifted and shimmered in his mind's eyes. He winked as the headache that always came with the psychic summons made him misstep and stumble,
“Well? What do you think old man?”
Kai let out a long sigh and reported everything he had learned of the girl from the few moments he had spent with her. Kai didn’t like to spy on the young lady, but his lord required it. It had been easy to read her thoughts, she was like an open book and had no idea how to shield herself from their mental abilities. In fact, she didn’t even appear know that their kinds inherent telepathy were one of the many reasons Niam was able to outwit she and her friend during every maneuver they had practiced. The girl was utterly ignorant of her own abilities as well.
Kai chuckled to himself as he finished his briefing with his Lord, and the image faded away.
Noël smiled to himself as he reflected back over what he had learned in those few short minutes with Kai. Raina had a trusting nature, he could use that against her. She had no memory of her childhood, apparently. That would prove to be more challenging to overcome but wasn’t a real obstacle.
Lucian had obviously lied to her about her past though, and she most definitely did not like liars, and this was something Noël could easily manipulate to his advantage. But first, he had to find out how much her pathetic boyfriend, Julian, knew about her past. He could prove difficult depending on what he knew. Noël smirked as he passed by the open door of Niam’s room. He wasn’t in there. Most likely he was already waiting outside the bathroom door for Raina so he could attempt to woo her again. It was so apparent to Noël that his brother had been smitten by the girl that he almost wanted to laugh out loud. He had seen the jealousy in Niam’s eyes when Noël had caught him watching the pair during their silly little festival. This too, he could use to his advantage.
Chapter 9
I did feel better after bathing. The hot water soaked away the soreness in my limbs and pulled the dirt from my hair and body. After I had dried off, I pulled on the delicate clothing that had been left for me. It was much too fancy for my tastes, and it felt strange to not be wearing trousers. Instead, they had provided me with the long-sleeved dress of the Eastern continent. It was covered in a beautiful pattern of blossoms similar to the ones of Wisteria, only they were gold and pink. I felt very self-conscious in it, the only thing that held it shut was the familiar wide obi-sash that wrapped around my waist several times before I knotted it awkwardly on my stomach. I looked down at my bare feet and blushed as one leg was almost fully exposed through the slit in the side of the gown. I’d never felt so exposed. Some hair clips and a long hair tie had also been provided, so I quickly combed out my wet hair and put it up into a high ponytail, using the clips to pin back my bangs. I looked down at the soft slippers that had also been provided and slid them on.
It took me several more moments before I grew brave enough to open the door and hurry back towards Julian’s room. Or at least that was my plan until I slammed right into Niam’s chest.
“Whoa, slow down there,” Niam smirked, and I swore I saw a humorous glint in his eyes as he looked me up and down, scrutinizing the gown. I made a face and was about to chastise him when he said,
“You’re wearing it wrong.”
I frowned and said dryly, “I assumed that, thank you for the affirmation.”
It was then that I stepped back and realized he was also dressed in the clothes of what I could now assume was his native country. He wore a heavy dark green robe similar in cut to mine over a lighter cream-colored one. Around his waist his much shorter sash was dark blue and was tied at his back, of course, why didn’t I think of that, and he had a thick blue cord that crossed over his shoulders and under his arms that held the long sleeves out of the way, so it was more manageable. Niam’s long red hair was down and had been twisted into three braids, a thin braid over either shoulder and the thickest one down his back. It was nearly as long as mine.
Two swords, a long blade and a short one were tucked into the sash at his left hip, the scabbards were inlaid with scrolling gold patterns that were similar to the tattoos on his back. He wore several golden stud earrings that ran up one ear. Just beneath his lower lip was another small stud. Around his neck, he wore a golden collar inlaid with turquoise.
Niam looked completely different from the way I had come to recognize him over the last few years, and he did, indeed, look every bit the noble.
“May I help?” he asked, his voice cutting through my thoughts.
I arched an eyebrow and shook my head lightly, “I can fix it myself,” I said. He cocked his head to one side, “Really? I’m not planning on stripping you naked, it’s fixable the way it is.”
I blushed furiously and then nodded, “Alright.”
Niam pulled out the cord that I had tied my hair up with and held it in his lips to free his hands as he pulled and tugged the fabric into place. Twisting the sash around so that it tied in the back and went to work making a bow before looping the cord over and under my shoulders to hold the sleeves back, freeing up my arms. As he leaned over my shoulder to tie it in the back more securely, his chest brushed against mine, and I sucked in a breath.
“Your shoulder?” he casually asked, continuing to tie the cord. My cheeks flushed pink, and I nodded my head though I knew it was a lie.
“Kai could look at it for you.”
“No, I can-”
“Fix it yourself? Of course, you can,” he stepped back and held his chin in one hand, looking me up and down appraisingly. I felt my entire body turning red at his scrutinizing gaze, and I was about to yell at him for it when he suddenly said,
“Just comb your fingers through your hair and your good to go. We're having dinner with my brother, Noël.”
“But what about Julian? I have to be there when he wakes up, I have to make sure he eats!”
Niam placed a hand on my head and smiled lightly, “He won’t wake for many more hours as the medicine will help him sleep, which will help him heal. Alright?”
I frowned. I didn’t want to leave Julian, but he was right, it would be much easier for him to rest if I wasn’t in there to disturb him. With a nod, I followed Niam down another set of stairs I hadn’t even noticed. I don’t want to trust Niam.
I can’t trust him.
Not anymore.
But I don’t really have any other choice at the moment. As long as Julian is out of commission, I have to try to get along with everyone for his sake. And then, once he is better, we can work on our escape. I began to devise a plan in my head, but it was dashed to pieces as my stomach began to growl as I caught the beautiful smells that wafted up from below and soon my mouth was watering. It had been nearly a full two days since I had eaten anything, but I was so used to going without a full belly during missions that I hadn’t even noticed it until now.
When we entered the hall, the table had already been set, and Noël sat at its head in a carved chair that looked more like a throne than a dining room chair. Where Niam wore green, Noël wore blue. If they had not have told me otherwise, I could have believed they were twins. But where Niam was arrogant and stubborn this man was just plain full of himself, an aura of self-importance seemed to hover around him.
I narrowed my eyes as I stepped towards his dinner throne. I didn’t know what he wanted with us, what either he or Niam had in store, did we anger them somehow? Were we, my father, Julian and I a part of some plot brought against their family maybe? Perhaps we had been hired to hunt down someone close to them, and now they were out for vengeance? No, nothing that trifling would be cause for six years of sabotage. For six years Niam had been with us. Unless Niam had been trying to get away from his brother all along.
Noël grinned as he watched Raina round the corner and enter the dining hall. She obviously had no idea how to present herself and had no decorum at all, but still, she could be worse. At least she was pretty, Niam was right about that at least. With a little work she could be a real beauty, but then, he wasn’t interested in her for her looks. She could have been born a pig-faced behemoth, and his plans would not have changed. He watched as her thoughts flash across her face in a series of emotions.
“This is a feast fit for a king, I guess that is how I should be properly addressing you? Your majesty?” she said and offered a small curtsey.
Kai was right. She was so easy to read he didn’t even have to try. It was effortless to have her mind opened before him.
“You’re very perceptive, that’s a relief,” he said dryly and motioned for her to take the seat on his right while Niam moved to his left. After a few moments, trays of food were brought in, and they began to eat. Noël leaned back in his chair, watching her as she sniffed each item and watched carefully as Niam ate before she would then take a careful bite.
The clothing suited her well enough, and her straight black hair hung in a long sheet down her back. She could have been gorgeous if she had been raised as her status would have indicated. However, she knew nothing about that since Lucian had hidden her and her heritage away. There was no helping it for the time being. But there was some advantage in this situation, she was still young enough to be malleable. She could be taught.
After a few more minutes, Noël grew tired of watching his brother and the girl stuff their faces. He waved over a servant to fill his empty wine glass before taking a deep drink of it and then smiled at Raina with more than a little malice.
“Hold yourself up, spine straight and shoulders back. Be proud of your heritage, you come from a long line of ladies,” he said. Raina narrowed her eyes, her chin thrust up into the air with a challenge on her lips, “And what would you know of my heritage?” she asked.
Noël grinned, sloshing the wine in his glass a few times before taking another sip, he said “You did know you were born a Princess, didn’t you?”
Raina nearly choked on her food and Noël enjoyed his forthright statement all the more for it. Grabbing her glass he laughed as she chocked down the wine before she even realized what she was doing and her face tinged pink with the heavy liquor.
Giving her some time to resettle herself, he continued as Niam watched on.
“Did Lucian not tell you of this? Did he really think he could kidnap the last noble-born princess of the Tellemer branch of families and think we would not find him?”
Raina girl shook her head in disbelief and denial as she replied,
“I don’t believe you. I was born in Wisteria; my father Lucian is from Nifelm, and my mother was a native-born Wisterian. I don’t know what you’re up to, but I have a feeling that you’re responsible for far more of what has transpired in the last few days than anything else.”
Noël nodded, “Of course I am, I won’t deny it. We had to have you back since your precious to our family and especially to me. But you don’t remember an
y of that do you?”
She blanched at his words, he could see her knuckles turning white as she gripped the armrests of her chair. At least she was taking it better than he thought she would. He had expected something different as she sat mostly poised though angry as a hornet,
“You genuinely don’t remember anything? It’s a shame really, your blood is wrought with magic. You were born to rule, born to wield powers unlike any you’ve seen before. Certainly, when the Ifreet attacked your home, you felt it? Sensed its spirit calling to you?” he asked.
Noël observed her as the fluttering of her pulse in her slender neck quickened, and the air grew tense as her energy pulsed, panic forcing Raina’s body to react. Her eyes shone like crystal and her hair crackled with traces of static.
He laughed at the thoughts and feelings that swam across her mind. The many questions she had often wondered about but never asked when things didn’t seem to add up.
“I believe my words are finally taking on some meaning to you? I am the eldest high born of the Tellemer, and you are the newly matured female of my distant cousin her majesty Queen Dia Mahadou. You are not a Morea, you are a Mahadou. You were born of scale and fire. And your father stole you from us.”
Chapter 10
Niam began to rise, his jaw working as he ground his teeth together, but Noël silenced him with the flick of a hand. I turned pale with fright. Mahadou? That’s what the demon in the city had called me. That was what Niam had called me. There is no way that I am possibly who or what they say I am. But then, why am I not fighting back or arguing against it more harshly? Some part of me actually believes they might be right. I tried to think back to when I was a child. My earliest of memories were of Lucian. I couldn’t remember my mothers face. She passed away when I was only a few days old, so I never knew what she looked like. My father said that I had her hair and face and her fighters’ spirit. But before me, there had been a son. Noël suddenly broke into my train of thought, “If you don’t believe me, then why don’t you ask him yourself?”