The guard snapped, “The beast is not permitted inside.” He spat on the ground. The idea of the animal occupying such a holy place was disgusting to him, it seemed.
“As you wish, sir, he’ll stay out here with you.” Lu flashed them what he hoped was a wicked smile like Jak’s, then turned and followed the others inside.
Chiza had stepped inside the doors, but no further. Jak stood just ahead of her. It took a moment for Lu’s eyes to adjust to the darkened room. All the windows were made of colored glass, and fifty rows of benches flanked an aisle leading to the altar. In front of the altar, Rasha was kneeling in front of a glowing ball of light. Her head was bowed and her hands were clasped. Her mouth moved, but from where they were nothing of her voice could be heard.
Chiza pulled Lu aside by the lapels as soon as the doors closed behind them. Instead of entering the temple area, they stood in the back of the building behind the barrier between the servant’s corridor and the altar room. It was a space where the servants could pass unseen. This part of the temple was less ornate, made with polished wood floors and panels.
“I must speak with you. It’s urgent,” Chiza whispered.
Lu took one more look toward Rasha. Maybe he should find out how things went after their arrest. Jak was already moving toward her. Lu turned back to Chiza. The corridor ended at a wall where a round window let in light a few feet above their heads. Chiza was waving him over from beneath the window.
“Are you well?” Lu asked.
“Yes, I’m well. Now that I see you again I feel much better.”
“Me too.” Lu reached out and grabbed both of her hands. “I’ve missed our talks.”
“I have as well. This is what I came to say.” Chiza took a deep breath. “I think that I am no longer fit to marry the prince.”
Lu watched as Chiza’s eyes filled. Something inside of him clenched, and he realized she’d been in agony over this. Lu couldn’t bear to see her so distraught. He’d do anything to make her happy. If she told him to go, he’d go. If she said they could never speak again, he’d do it. Anything, if it meant removing the hurt he saw swimming in her eyes.
“I can’t marry him. I won’t.”
This wasn’t what Lu expected or wanted. It was dangerous for her to speak this way. Rasha had been right. They’d gone down a very dangerous road. Rasha had made her choice, but few would contradict her blades. Chiza was no fighter. How would she stand before the prince and declare she wouldn’t have him?
“You must go to the palace. You must meet with the prince. Let him choose someone else, but you must go. You can’t risk bearing the shame of your family forever. They could arrest you, declare you a traitor to the first kingdom, or worse. All of these are good reasons to follow through with your vow. I want you to.”
Chiza was shaking her head now, the look on her face determined. “How can I marry him when I know I’m in love with you?”
Lu stared at her a moment, not sure he’d heard her correctly. Chiza smiled and tilted her head.
“Is it so strange that I could fall in love with you?” she asked.
He smiled then. “I was thinking this whole time that I was the only one in love.”
Chiza let out a little squeak of pleasure and threw her arms around his neck. “You do?”
“I think I’ve loved you since the moment we pulled you out of that box.” Lu put a hand on her face and leaned in to her. He’d wanted to kiss her for almost as long. Now was his moment. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and her lips parted with a sigh as soon as his lips met hers. They were so soft and warm like the rest of her. She pressed up against him and his other arm reached into her coat and slid around her waist.
“I won’t marry him,” she whispered in his ear.
“I know. But you must go. I will stay as long as I am allowed. You’ll meet the prince and the other princesses, you’ll make friends. There’s nothing wrong with more friends. I will return to the Twinlands and wait for the prince to choose another. Then you’ll join me there and meet my family.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“I would do anything for you. Waiting for your return is nothing. Have you ever been to the Twinlands?”
“I have, we went there when I was a girl. My family did all the trade negotiations with the other nine kingdoms in person.”
“Then you know much about my nation already, but I hope to be your guide when next you come.”
“I’d like that,” she said as rested her head on his shoulder.
“There’s plenty to occupy our time. I’ve got money saved up and we can go visit your father.”
“Yes, my father will want to meet you.”
“Yes, I know. I have a few things to ask him,” Lu said, as he tried to rein in his anger.
Chiza pulled back from his embrace to look him in the eye.
“My father is not a perfect man. But I believe whatever he did, he thought it best for our kingdom.”
“The kingdom, perhaps, but not for you, his daughter. You deserve so much better.”
“Don’t be angry, my love.” Her words, so light, so casual and intimate made him burn with desire for her. “I’ve seen the reports and I admit his behavior has shamed us. But I won’t add to our shame. I’ll be able to fulfill my duty, but only because your promise will be close to my heart.”
Chiza leaned in and brushed a finger down the front of his forehead. Lu pulled her close again and this time he let his need for her fill him. She sighed with her head against his chest. Lu smiled as he thought about how things had changed between them. From this moment on their lives would never be the same.
30
Rasha kept her head bowed even after her friends were brought to the temple. She finished her prayer to the Universal and tucked her amulet back under her shirt. She’d been released. Her parents had sent word through the guard. She and her friends were free to leave if they chose. Rasha stood without turning, keeping her face to the eye of the Universal. She felt Jak behind her. She wasn’t sure how she knew it was him. Maybe it was all the nights of him tracking them. She’d gotten used to his stealth.
“Where are the others?” she asked.
“They’re talking somewhere.” Jak let his voice fade. He looked around, taking in the temple.
Rasha turned and faced him. “I wanted to explain why I didn’t say anything about all this before.” She gestured at the castle. Her fingers trembled, so she locked them together.
“You’re a spoiled little girl,” Jak said.
“What?”
“You were bored, so you left. I get it. The castle life must have been tough, all these servants attending you.” Jak waved a hand and turned in a slow circle, the disdain for the room and its furnishings on his face.
“Careful,” she warned.
Rasha’s hands remained clenched at her sides. She’d wait and let him get this out of his system. He needed to vent.
“No, I get it. Too much love and affection from this family of yours so you pack up and leave to become a courier. Something with a bit more freedom to be the spoiled brat that you are.” Jak said. “I can see why you left. I mean look at this place, the gold, the gems.”
“Are you mocking me?” she asked.
“Well, I don’t much see any reason to avoid the place for two years, or to lie about it.”
“You know why I can’t tell people who I am.”
Jak nodded. Then he ran his thumb across his neck like a knife.
“They wouldn’t dare,” Rasha said. He was teasing her.
“No, they won’t come after you. They’ll punish your family.” Jak said.
Rasha nodded. That’s what bothered her parents. They’d been shut out of royal events because their daughter refused to conform. They were proud and her actions were a constant blow to their status. Two years ago, she hadn’t given it another thought. Now she wondered if there was a way to restore her family and still maintain her own freedom. Hadn’t she done
everything she could to distance herself from them?
“How do you come in here with the Eye of the Universal condemning you?” Jak asked.
“I’ll have you know that Eye has been in my family for generations. Only the guilty are condemned.” Rasha waited a beat and then asked him the question that had been worrying her since their arrival. “Are you still angry with me?”
“No,” Jak replied. The ease with which he said it calmed her heart. Perhaps Lu had said something to help him understand. She’d have to ask him about it later.
Rasha, feeling bolder and more at peace, took a step toward Jak. “I’m glad. I wouldn’t want this to come between us.”
“Between us? Is there something between us?” he asked, his false innocence making her tighten her lips to keep from laughing.
She made a show of looking around and in between them.
“I don’t see anything between us.” She took another step closer. She tilted her head and her lips parted.
“Princess, are you going to kiss me?” Jak asked, tipping his head forward and staring at her mouth.
“Don’t call me princess. Are you going to stop me?” she asked, a breath away from his lips.
Jak nodded but he let her kiss him. His hands gripped her waist before they slid up her back to her neck and into her hair. When they parted he ran a finger down her cheek and frowned when she winced.
“What happened here? Your skin—it’s swollen, and your lip.” He ran a finger along her busted bottom lip. When she tried to look away, he held on to her chin. “Who did this?”
Rasha gave him what felt like a half smile. “It’s a parting gift to the spoiled princess for speaking her true feelings to her father.”
Jak’s jaw clenched as his eyes traced the outline of the handprint on her face.
“We should get going.” Rasha wanted to be on her way before this conversation got any more uncomfortable.
“Yes.” Jak let go and straightened his coat. Rasha glimpsed the small disk she’d placed just under the collar. He hadn’t seen it. She reached up and grabbed for it. A guard chose that inconvenient moment to open the temple doors and announce himself. Rasha’s hand dropped back to her side.
“Your highness.” The guard inclined his head in her direction. Not a full bow. “The king sends his regards; your presence is no longer required. You are all free to go.”
The guard turned back around and exited the temple, the doors closing soundlessly behind him.
“Your parents aren’t ready to meet me, I suppose.” Jak pretended to be offended.
“Come on.” She pulled him along. Then she yelled for the others, “Lu, Chiza, it’s time to go.”
The two hadn’t gone any further on the inside edge of the temple. They were in the small entrance hall, with swollen lips and clothing askew. Jak laughed and gave Lu a pat on the back when they reached all reached the doors. Rasha shook her head. What could she say about it?
As if her parents couldn’t wait for them to be gone, the beasts were waiting outside the temple. Temi finished up a bowl of food they’d brought to pacify him. He trotted to Lu like a domestic animal and licked his hand. Lu gave him a pat on the head before helping Chiza up on their tuskin. Temi, too big to sit up on his lap anymore, trailed along beside them. Jak followed them with a smile and a wave to the guards.
Rasha raised her eyes to the windows of her mother and father’s rooms in the southern tower. There was no movement. She hoped someday, as her aunt had, they’d see her for who she was instead of what they wanted her to be. She had her aunt. Rasha would have to make more of an effort with her. Sochi had given Rasha shelter even after a two-year absence. She was like a mother to her. A shame she’d never married and had children of her own.
31
They rode hard and fast over the next two days. They’d been delayed enough, and with a winter storm on their heels they needed to hurry or risk being caught in the coming snow.
When Lu let out a warning whistle, they all came to an abrupt halt. Rasha rode up beside Lu as he cocked his head and stared into the woods ahead of them. “What’s wrong?” she asked in a whisper.
“We’ve got company.”
“What’s wrong?” Jak asked.
“The royal guard doesn’t come out this far to meet or greet princesses. Besides, no one is supposed to know we’re coming today, which means they’ve been set up here for some time.”
“How many?”
Lu jumped down from his tuskin, leaving Chiza to hold the reins. He pulled out his eye gear and disappeared into the woods. None of them spoke as they waited for Lu’s return. A few minutes later, he was back.
“It’s a blockade. Three large groups waiting on the border for anyone who should pass by.”
“I could ride up ahead. Get a closer look. If they take me, it won’t matter. You’ll have the princess and you’ll know to find another way around,” Jak offered.
“Why would you do that when we could all just go around? There’s no chance we can sneak Chiza through so let’s not go the martyr route until we must,” Rasha replied.
“There might be another way,” Lu said. He had his screen out again, and he swiped through the images until the right one appeared. “There. I have a way through.”
“Through?” Jak said.
“Not exactly through, but under. There are tunnels. They’re escape tunnels for the palace but they’ve been all but abandoned for the last hundred years of peace.”
“How do we know that no one else has already found the tunnels?” Jak asked.
“One, the men at the border are nowhere near the exit tunnel, and they only go one way. The doors to the tunnels are locked from the inside and the only way through is if someone on the inside opens the doors.”
“If they’re locked how will we get in?” Chiza asked.
“Working on it,” Lu said as he bit his bottom lip and used his communicator, tapping out several sequences.
“Is it an electrical system, could we use one of your devices to disable the lock?”
“No, this is an original, antique locking system. There’s no breaking a code to get through it.”
“We need someone in the palace to open the doors.” Jak paced.
“Yahtz, I can’t get through to anyone.” Lu said. “The palace is packed with princesses so there’s no getting through to anyone inside.” Rasha could think of nothing more unpleasant than a pack of princesses. She looked over at Chiza, an idea forming.
“We don’t have time for this,” Jak said. “Let’s just go around while there’s still light.”
“Wait, Chiza, I need you to come with me,” Rasha said and tipped her head to the right.
“Are you going to tell us what you’re doing?”
“One step at a time. Just give us a minute.” Rasha smiled over her shoulder and led Chiza into the woods.
Rasha and Chiza returned a few moments later wearing each other’s clothes. Chiza stood transformed into a warrior princess. Rasha wore Chiza’s pink gown. It came down just to her ankles. On the tuskin it wouldn’t be noticeable if she could keep their eyes off of her feet. She couldn’t manage to squeeze her large feet into Chiza’s delicate sandals. The pink dress offered no support to her stomach and back, and the thin straps were snug over her arms, but otherwise it fit. She sat tall and kept her bare feet in the stirrups of her mount.
“What is this?” Jak asked. He reached out and fingered the bottom edge of the soft material just above her ankles.
“It’s called a plan.”
* * *
Rasha rode on her beast, keeping her distance behind Jak. He sat well in his seat on the mount, riding with a straight back and fierce expression on his face. She’d put on her best princess act and they’d stuffed Chiza into a bag. This time, though, she was fully conscious. Lu rode several paces behind Rasha, creating a buffer around her. Chiza lay draped over the mount, her arms and legs on opposite sides. When they reached the border, several men jumped from th
e trees in an attempt to stop them.
Jak pulled his sword, ready to fight, and Lu readied his charge emitter. It wouldn’t take down all of them but, enough to get Rasha and Chiza through.
“What have you got there?” The man said, looking over Rasha and Lu.
“We are on our way to The Choosing. The royal family of Adalu is expecting us. I have the Princess Rasha Jenchat Indari from Chilali and her manservant. Why do you detain us?” Jak looked ready to take their heads. “Well, what is your business here?” He demanded.
“We are looking for someone. A black princess traveling with a purple courier.”
Jak laughed in their faces.
“Well, take a closer look, boys. Do you see a black princess or a purple one?”
“She’s purple, but—” the man closest to him stammered, but didn’t drop his long sword.
“Is she a courier or a princess?” Jak asked leaning down over his mount.
“She’s a princess, but—”
“Jak, what is the delay?” Rasha called out, using her mother’s tone.
“Your highness, these men seem to have mistaken you for a courier.”
“A what?” Rasha moved her mount forward, looking down her nose at the man who appeared to be the leader. “A courier?”
“Lucius!”
“Yes, your highness.”
“This man on the road seems to think I’m a courier. I told you not to dress me in this manner. I look far too common. Now the prince will think I’m some kind of domestic.”
“I’m sorry, mistress. I will correct it at your convenience.” Lu gave her a gracious bow. He reached out a hand and pressed it lightly to Chiza’s back.
“We must be on our way. If there’s nothing else?” They waited a beat. The men continued to stare at each other in confusion. “Good day, gentlemen,” Jak said, urging his mount into a hurried trot. Rasha followed, with Lu beside her. She knew it must kill Chiza to be on her stomach. They needed to hurry out of view.
“We’re almost there, Chiza, hold on my sweet,” Lu said when they were out of earshot.
The Courier's Code (The Bolaji Kingdoms Series Book 1) Page 12