I boarded the ship of Knight Commander Fergus Olsom surrounded by loyal men of the Order of Rameses. I should feel relieved to be among those sworn to protect Priestesses of Shanta like myself, but I wasn't. I had been evading them for years, but it seemed my luck in avoiding them had finally run out. In that momentary scuffle, Oxlo broke the chain of my shieldstone, opening that magical pathway and betraying my position to the Order. I sighed. I supposed it was only a matter of time before I was discovered, no matter how hard I tried to avoid any sort of conflict or confrontation that would lead to my capture...
"Mother Frère, there is a change of clothes in your private quarters below decks. The voyage to Rush will be three weeks long, so please, wash and feel free to make yourself at home. I have also taken the liberty of informing His Highness of your security. He will be most pleased to hear it and on his ageday celebration no less." The Knight Commander said with a small bow.
What a bald-faced lie. He would not be capable of such a feeling, be it borne from affection or otherwise falsified.
"Will word really reach him so soon?" I asked nervously.
He chuckled. "Yes, my lady. The Order of Rameses only breeds the finest and fastest pigeons to convey messages to The Pale Kingdom. I can only imagine the longing you must have to be by his side once more but worry not; you will both be reunited soon enough, my lady."
"Thank you for your kind words, commander." I remarked, doing my best to ignore the put in my stomach, "How old is His Highness today?"
"His Highness celebrates his thirty-third ageday today, my lady." He smiled, "You should review the volumes in your room before we arrive. After all, a wife-to-be should know a few things about her husband-to-be, wouldn't you say?"
"Has His Highness truly waited all this time for my return?" I asked instead of answering his question.
"Of course, my lady. He never stopped searching for you. The pain in his heart when you were kidnapped was immeasurable." He explained with a sorrowful look.
Perhaps I should rescind my previous statement, it seemed he'd become quite a remarkable actor. I should expect no less from a man of The Pale Kings, especially one as cunning and cruel as he.
"Yes, it was a sad occasion for me as well..." I added softly.
"Steel your heart, my lady. Three weeks is nothing in the face of a lifetime spent in longing." He said, bowing with some reverence.
"Of course. Thank you, for your kind words..."
"My lady." He bowed once more.
I excused myself quietly after that, pushing down the hateful feeling that crawled up my throat as knight after knight bowed to me. Perhaps they meant it as a gesture of honor, but I couldn't help but liken it to the bowing of mourners.
أنت تقرأ
As A Stranger Or A Friend?
العاطفيةUpon the blurred line of morality and at the mercy of circumstance, two souls meet. Again. And again. And again. So, is it simply a coincidence or something more? When a young Mariel leaves home, she is instructed to lead a quiet, ignoble life. For...
