Swallowing, I closed my eyes and sealed their fate. “No.”
By the time I opened them, ten more bodies littered the ground. Tears fell freely from my eyes and I didn’t even attempt to hide them.
When the guards moved to grab another ten people, Cassius called a halt to this madness.
Looking at me, he said, “I know how stubborn you are, so I didn’t think you’d say yes today. But know this, my love, I will kill ten people each day until you agree. Remember that.”
I said nothing. There wasn’t really anything I could say, was there? Even if I begged the result would be the same. It was impossible to negotiate with a madman.
Walking down the steps, he paused before me and gently ran his fingers over the curve of my cheek. “Before the guards escort you back to the dungeon, I would like you to meet someone.”
He stepped back and held out a hand towards the shadowed nook next to the dais. Moments later, a man I knew all too well stepped into the light.
Xing...
Xing was the eldest son of King Aya, a ruler of the southlands…and our biggest enemy.
I stiffened my spine and watched as he got closer and closer.
Stopping before me, Xing grabbed my hand and bowed before me; kissing my knuckles. “Princess, it’s always a pleasure to see you.”
Tugging my hand free, I narrowed my eyes; wondering what game he was playing at. Showing me respect instead of Cassius...was a blatant insult.
Though, evidently Cassius hadn’t caught it because he just kept smiling as if he held all the cards in his hands.
Smiling with as much decorum as I could muster with the ache in my head getting more pronounced, I said, “unfortunately, I can’t say the same.”
Laughing, he clutched his chest dramatically. “How you wound me, Sweet Si.”
“Yet you still live...shame.” I shook my head, tsking.
Irritated, Cassius inserted himself between us, glaring. “Xing, we have an alliance to discuss, no?”
Xing sent me a mischievous wink and a secret smile before nodding his head regally at Cassius. “We do.”
“You’re allying with the southlands?!” Fool! He was a bloody fool! All the southland kings ever wanted was the power of Akeldama at their fingertips and he was just going to give them access! I wanted to scream, I was so angry.
Waving his hand dismissively, “take her back to the dungeons.”
The guard started tugging me towards the doors, leaving me no choice but to follow. I was still in earshot when I heard them mention the execution of the King Killer…
Chapter Three
WABI-SABI
(n.) the discovery of beauty in imperfection; the acceptance of the cycle of life and death
Joaquin Gagnon
The sound of the guards’ thundering footsteps woke me long before the door to our cell opened, and they shoved Sienna back inside. Bloody Hell…
What had I missed?
Had they done something to her?
I moved to sit up and regretted it immediately. Groaning, I flopped over onto my back, holding my ribs tightly. It felt like they were broken but I wasn’t sure if they had been broken in the beating Bael had order or if the guards had done it when they threw me down.
Breathing deeply, I braced my hand on the wall and pulled myself up until I was standing. Then I looked at Sienna, who stood frozen in front of the doorway. She stared at the ground with her hands clenching reflexively at her sides.
Worried, I asked, “are you ok? Did they harm you?”
I tried to take a step in her direction and cursed as the chains prevented even that small movement.
“You’ll be executed tomorrow, King Killer.” Sienna whispered.
For several moments, nothing was said between us.
I had known this day would come eventually. I had known that the instance I removed my father’s head from his body. I wasn’t afraid to die; having made my peace with death long ago. Xima would choose my fate. He would choose whether I was worthy of eternal peace or eternal torment.
The God of Death was a fair one. He did not punish people unjustly.
Until then…
Until the last breath had fled my body, I would not live in fear of the inevitable.
Gazing at Sienna, and the emotion evident in the rigid posture of her body, if not in the overly controlled features of her face, I felt regret.
Only for the briefest of moments...
I regretted that my decision so long ago would lead to this.
That regret was fleeting because killing King Lyons had been the only choice that I could have made and still been able to live with myself. Had I let him live after he has so brutally murdered my mother, I would have dishonored her memory.
I would die tomorrow.
So be it…
But from now till the end, I would try to make sure Sienna didn’t suffer on my behalf because…she mattered, and I knew she would take my death badly. I don’t how I knew that; I just did and I had never been one to question myself.
Smiling softly, I held out my hand to her; thanking the fates that the guard who had brought her back hadn’t rechained her to the wall.
Glancing at me, she looked at my outstretched hand intensely for a long moment before walking the length between us and taking it, interlocking our fingers. The first whisper of her touch made my heart pound harder in my chest.
Tugging on her hand, I slowly sat back down on the ground, unable to stand any longer but not willing to show her how weak I felt. My wounds were not important at the moment; especially not if I was headed to the executioner’s block mere hours from now.
Once seated and leaning against the chilled and slightly damp wall behind me, I pulled her down until she was seated next to me. Not even for a second did I let go of her hand.
Seeing the somber cast to her fine face, I squeezed her hand in mine; causing her to meet my eyes as I teased, “I was bound to be executed one day.”
“It’s my fault.” She whispered darkly.
Raising both eyebrows at that unexpected nibble of nonsense, I tilted my head. “You’re not responsible for the actions of others, Princess.”
She didn’t answer, and I wasn’t going to force the issue. We all had our demons to fight.
I leaned my head back against the wall, sighing heavily. I should be thinking about the end; but no…all I could focus on was this one girl.
Even under all the dirt and sick, I could tell she was truly breathtaking. Not physically, though I’m sure with proper care and a few decent sized meals, she would be even more beautiful. What I found breathtaking was the inner light that shone within her. One look into her eyes and it was abundantly clear.
Sienna cared.
And that was a rarity in this world…
I felt drawn to her and I wished that we had met under different circumstances. I imagined another life where I hadn’t been a murderer and she wasn’t a princess far out of my reach. In another life, we could have had something special.
Maybe in our next life…
The sudden sound of her voice—shattering the silence—startled me. “It is my fault. Perhaps not your execution but the sea of death that has overtaken Akeldama…is my burden to bear. Just moments ago, I stood by and watched Cassius order the slaughter of twenty innocents and I could have stopped him. With one little word, they wouldn’t have had to die.”
“So why didn’t you?” I didn’t try to tell her that she was blameless. She wouldn’t have listened. Instead, I rubbed my thumb along the back of her hand and let her vent.
“Cassius cannot get his hands on Akeldama’s soul!” She shouted before wincing and rubbing her forehead.
“I’m assuming this has something to do with the myths that circulate about the Akeldama Clan and their origins?” I asked with my eyes closed, even though she didn’t have to answer because I already knew the truth.
Cassius was a corrupt man with a soul that was probably just as rotted. If the A
keldamas truly got their power from that ancient ancestor’s soul…a wedding between Cassius and Sienna would have the potential to corrupt the heart of Akeldama itself.
That was my theory anyway.
And now that I thought about it, it could explain why there were so few actual weddings in the Akeldama lineage. Sienna’s parents had wed but before them there hadn’t been a King and Queen for nearly two centuries. Usually the Kings took a consort or had mistresses, but seldom did they actually wed.
Interesting…
Lost in thought, I had been idly counting the sound of her breaths and frowned when several seconds passed without her taking a breath and when she finally did, it was no more than a soft huff.
I turned my head, glancing at her and smiled.
She was passed out cold.
I touched her head to move it to my shoulder so that she wouldn’t have a crick in her neck when she woke and felt a sticky liquid coat my fingers.
“Sienna!” I called her name repeatedly, my heart racing, until she murmured something incoherently. Closing my eyes, I sighed with relief.
“Where are you injured, Princess?”
She murmured something under her breath, but I couldn’t make it out, so I asked to her repeat it. “Head wound.” She slurred loudly, sounding half unconscious.
I cursed savagely enough to make even a northerner blink.
With a head wound, there was no way to tell how bad it was. “Stay awake and talk to me, okay?” As long as she kept talking, I knew she was alive. If she fell asleep, she might never wake up.
She laid her head on my shoulder. “Tired.”
“I know you are, but you need to stay awake.” I said softly, dragging my fingers gently through her hair. “Keep talking to me, Princess.”
“About what…?”
“Anything; I am all ears.” I teased, gently before jerking slightly when I felt her cold fingers touch my skin as she slid her free hand over my arm to cuddle into my side.
Frozen, I dared not move for several seconds; afraid she would move away if I did. But as her body heat mixed with mine, I relaxed and eventually slid my arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer.
“I am friends with the Rex of the entire Nomadic Nation.” She said, shocking the hell out of me.
No one knew the identity of the Rex, except for the leaders of the individual tribes and they would cut their own throats before they shared that secret. The men of the west didn’t play. Those tribes were considered uncivilized beasts with a savagery unmatched in “polite” society.
“Are you joking with me, Sienna?”
A light laugh whispered across my flesh, causing chill bumps to rise. “Nope. Jezura was the only friend that I had growing up, aside from Rhys. He used to be a slave to King Masaari. And now he’s the most powerful man in the west.”
Utterly intrigued, I said, “tell me more.”
We stayed awake for hours, sharing the stories of our lives; fighting against the allure of sleep.
Unfortunately... the Mistress of Slumber was a clingy heifer and couldn’t be eluded indefinitely. Especially not by two people covered in injuries as we were.
Chapter Four
AMARANTHINE
(adj.) undying, immortal, and eternally beautiful
Sienna Akeldama
I squealed, covering my mouth with both hands as my arrow missed my target and struck a tree, inches from Soren’s face. I devolved into laughter at the wide-eyed look of panic on his face.
Hearing me laugh must have snapped him out of his daze because he glowered and rushed at me.
I gasped and raced into the forest, trying to evade his grasp. He chased me for a few minutes before tackling me to the ground. In mid-air, he turned us so that he was the one who hit the ground instead of me.
Out of breath, I laid in his arms for several seconds, enjoying the feel of his thickly muscled arms wrapped around me. Then, I remembered the look on his face and started laughing again.
“You think that was funny? You nearly killed me, woman!” Soren said, glaring at me teasingly.
Sucking my lower lip between my teeth, I bit down lightly and raised a hand to tap his nose with my finger. “I missed…” I peered at him from under my eyelashes.
He snorted, “barely.”
I grinned and pushed myself up until I was straddling him; mentally throwing a quick thanks to my maid for sneaking me this pair of men’s, leather riding pants; this wouldn’t have been nearly as easy to do in a dress, nor as much fun…
Soren’s hands slid to my hips and squeezed lightly, a devilish glint shining in his eyes. “I think you should make it up to me. You did nearly kill me, after all…” he said huskily.
I smirked and wiggled my hips a little, delighting in the groan he gave.
I pushed my hair over my shoulder and leaned down over him, using my hands to brace my weight by placing them on the ground on either side of his head.
My hair fell like a curtain and separated us from the outside world.
I stared into his eyes and touched my lips lightly to his; whispering, “And, how do you want me to do that?”
**********
“What in Raga’s name is going on?”
I snapped my head up and spotted Joaquin standing mere feet away and gasped. I looked back down at Soren and blinked as I watched myself kiss him. Well, ok then…
Confused, I glanced back at Joaquin.
He stared at me with his arms crossed and as my eyes met his, he raised a brow in question. I looked back at Soren and blushed as clothes started to cover the forest floor.
Wide eyed, I jumped in front of Joaquin to block his line of sight. “I-I think it’s one of my memories.”
He looked pointedly to the couple in the midst of intercourse and deadpanned, “Well, it’s certainly not one of mine.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but my face got even hotter...
“How am I here?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. This has never happened to me before.”
“Right…” He paused as my memory me cried out in completion in the background and took a deep breath. “Do you know how to get us out of your memories?” He asked with a strained voice.
I bit my bottom lip and shook my head slowly, looking anywhere but at him. This was just to awkward.
“That’s just… lovely,” he said on a sigh.
Just then my memory changed to something else.
***********
“You should go dance with him.” Mother said, nodding towards where Aramis leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the ballroom. He raised his glass to me when he saw me looking.
I choked on the sip of wine that I had just taken and looked at her with shock, “Mother!”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Sienna, it’s unbecoming of a princess.” Mother said with her chin held high, which made it all the easier for her to look down her nose at me. Curse those bloody giant genes! With two parents that both had taller than average traits, how had I ended up so gods-be-damned short?
“I am not…” I trailed off at the look she gave me. When your mother gives you that sort of look, the only safe thing to do is to stop talking.
“You two have been flitting around each other for the last six months.” She shook her finger at me when I opened my mouth, “don’t bother denying it.”
She stepped closer and laid her palm against my back. “Now, go dance with that pretty man,” she said, giving me a hearty push.
I stumbled forward a few steps and glanced at Aramis out of the corner of my eye, hoping he hadn’t noticed. Unfortunately, he smirked and gave me a look of challenge, using my weakness against me. I had never been able to resist a challenge.
Curse him for always knowing which buttons to push!
Pursing my lips together, I stood tall and straightened my spine before walking gracefully towards him, praying that I didn’t trip over my ridiculously long dress and fall face first on t
he ballroom floor in front of so many witnesses.
When I was within arm’s reach of him, I hissed through my fake smile, “why didn’t you meet me halfway?!”
Aramis smirked sinfully, “where would be fun in that?”
My nostrils flared as I envisioned myself slapping the smug look from his far too pretty face. I resisted the urge, knowing my father’s tolerance towards public scandals; or rather, his lack of tolerance. The crown princess slapping a nobleman in front of the entire court could be nothing else but the juiciest of scandals.
Execution: (The Akeldama Chronicles) Page 3