Araman

Chapter Eight

  Raliena was tense the next morning. She wanted to escape for a moment and unwind before the day brought more troubles for her.

  She quickly got dressed into ordinary working clothes and decided to head to her usual hiding spot in the woods outside the castle.

  It was early but there were still servants up and busy. Raliena avoided the corridor with the royal guests and used a passageway round the back of the rooms. Unfortunately, this way risked bumping into Dergen, whose private rooms were on the same floor. Luckily his bedchambers were in a different part of the castle and he was rarely seen up early.

  Raliena had never known why an advisor needed more than one room, but she decided she did not want to know what Dergen got up to in his spare time. It was known that his personal servant, Welver, resided in one of the rooms and informed Dergen if anyone came near them.

  Raliena scuttled between two walls and reached the little wooden door at the right side of the castle set in the outside wall, originally used as an easy escape route into the forest surrounding the castle. Now it was worn and splintering.

  Swiftly squeezing through the door and closing it behind her, the Araman breathed in the smell of freedom on the morning air.

  The ground was layered with frost, but the shallow ditch that ran across the outside wall was still muddy.

  Not wanting to soil her shoes, Raliena retrieved the rope she had hung on a tree and swung across the watery pit. Once on the other side, she hooked the rope around another nearby branch and started briskly walking towards the tree she always sat on when her fate as Araman weighed too much on her small shoulders.

  The tree had always been the perfect height for her; with secure foot holds and enough top branches to conceal her even in the bare winter as it was now.

  Raliena hurried as she felt dawn approaching and didn’t want to miss the sunrise. It was the most peaceful and sacred moment she had to herself, when no thought ran through her mind. No worries, no emotions but joy and awe when she could see nothing from that viewpoint but the unending sky above. It was her haven and safe place, away from everything, especially Dergen. If he ever knew about it, she would never be free of the dread that he could find her anywhere in the castle.

  Dergen’s response to Raliena of late had changed ever so subtly, he was usually unsettling in how he watched her and he spoke to her in a manner that was bordering on inappropriate but never quite crossing the forbidden threshold. Yet since Raliena had returned from Attashar, something in his eyes made her feel like he saw her as a possession, like he had a need to have her in his grasp that even the King could not prevent him from claiming.

  The tree was in a direct line from the wooden door with only a few trees to avoid, she could see the tips of it coming into view and once more she relaxed, pushing such sinister thoughts from her already brimming emotions.

  Raliena jumped, stunned for a moment when she saw that a figure stood facing her tree. She slipped quietly back behind a trunk and held her beating heart steady, wishing she had bought her sword with her, or at least her dagger.

  Slowly, and trying not to step on anything that might cause the figure to turn, she crept to the next tree to get a better view. Using the large trunk as cover, she peered through the low and almost bare branches to see who the intruder was.

  A muscular, broad shouldered man stood with his back to where Raliena was hiding. But despite not seeing his face she recognised the arrogant way he stood, even alone, and his short, dark hair swept weightlessly about his head.

  It was General Kassen.

  He wore a white shirt hanging out of his black trousers that were tucked into heavy leather boots. He stood with his shoulders slouched forwards, head to the sky and his legs slightly apart, with a long line of liquid flowing down the tree between them.

  Finding it difficult to control her anger, Raliena forced herself into the open. Crossing her arms, she waited a moment for the correct expression of impassiveness then cleared her throat loudly.

  Kassen jumped and started doing his belt back up, apologising as he did.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise…” He turned to face her and then paused while an unreadable smile spread across his face. “Oh, it’s you.”

  “What do you think you are doing? Marking my tree like some animal?!” His expression and tone broke Raliena’s control over her own manner, leaving an angry and confused mix.

  “I didn’t realise it had been claimed. And I was simply…” He looked back at the tree for a moment and leant carelessly against a wide branch. “Fertilizing.”

  Raliena stared at him for a moment, lost for what to say.

  “What are you doing here? How did you find this place? It is hidden from the castle view.” She demanded, once she had regained her voice.

  “I simply followed the path your many visits had left in the soil after a lovely young maid informed me of your trips into the woods.”

  “And you could not wait until a sensible time of morning to speak with me?”

  Kassen grinned. “It’s rather difficult to talk to someone who seems intent on avoiding you.”

  There was a silence between them while they considered each other. Raliena thought about turning and leaving, but that would just confirm his accusation that she was avoiding him and if anyone should leave, it should be him. Instead, she walked round to the side of the tree he hadn’t defiled.

  “I am not avoiding you.” She said, as she began to climb.

  “I’m glad,” The General replied, staring up at where she was climbing. “Then this should be the perfect time for us to talk.”

  Kassen began to climb the tree also, though not as skilfully as Raliena; she had had years of practice. Raliena settled herself in her favourite spot to watch the sunrise between the almost bare branches of the trees. She glanced down at the General who was busy navigating the many branches extruding from the trunk and tried to refrain from throwing something at him.

  “And what would we have to talk about?” Raliena asked, dreading the answer.

  Kassen paused on a branch to catch his breath.

  “Well, actually, I wanted to thank you.”

  “It is my duty as an Araman to assist you in finding a Unisayan, there is no need to thank me.”

  “That is not what I am thanking you about.” The General looked up and for a moment was caught in her eyes. He remembered the sweet moment he awoke from death to them, those beautiful blue eyes. “I wanted to thank you for saving my life.”

  An almost pained expression flitted across her face for the briefest of moments, before she regained her composure and replied.

  “I do not know what you mean.” Raliena looked back up at the sky. “It was Lady Nanerter who healed you. You must have been seeing things caused by your illness.”

  “That may be,” the General was suddenly very close to her now he had found his way up the tree and sat on the thick branch beside her. “But I said nothing about seeing you there.”

  His tone was smug and Raliena scolded herself for being so foolish. General Kassen studied the Araman for a long while, but she turned her face from him, pretending to gaze at the sky which was quickly turning pink from the rising sun.

  “I...” Kassen began but was halted by Raliena raising her hand for him to be silent.

  “Listen first.” She whispered and Kassen expected her to say something but she stayed mute, her gaze unwavering.

  Eventually, Kassen also turned to observe the sky and sat watching the sunrise in silence. In the quiet Kassen found himself truly listening to the approaching morning. The birds that did not rest in winter sang aloud in welcome and the dew covered branches framed the orange glow of the sun; the colours of red, orange and purple so intense that it seemed to set the forest alight with golden glitter.

  The General noticed a scent he had not experienced before, or a
t least not appreciated, of fresh bark and flowing water. The beauty of it filled his body with a warmth and a peace he had only experienced once before, when waking to find an angel watching over him.

  Strange that both times had been caused by this elusive woman sat beside him.

  “Breathtaking.” He whispered.

  Then the Araman smiled a warm and happy smile, her eyes soft and expression tranquil as they were when he first saw her.

  Raliena looked at him then and they held each other there. She had never shared this place with anyone before. She would never have even thought about the possibility of it being the General she would be sitting beside and appreciate the coming morning with.

  It was Kassen that broke their gaze and looked back at the sky, now turning a wintery blue, gray.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if Sherin is not too well today, she drank almost as much as I did!” He said, trying to break the sober atmosphere. He had been too close to kissing her.

  “She was not drinking wine.” Raliena replied quietly. “I gave her some of my grape water.”

  Kassen smiled, Sherin would be pleased to know she had fooled everyone into thinking she was sipping at wine all night. She liked to be thought of as a Lady.

  “Thank you.” Kassen said.

  Raliena nodded and started to make her way back down the tree.

  “You are leaving?” Kassen asked trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

  “There is much to attend to.” Raliena replied.

  Kassen also started to climb down the tree, much faster than he had gone up, as he more fell than clambered.

  “Perhaps I could join you?” The General inquired hopefully.

  “I am quite alright on my own.”

  “Yes, but perhaps you might like a little company? Ow!” Kassen yelped as he fell from the last branch to the floor, he landed on his feet but a bit of bark had splintered in his hand.

  Raliena sighed and took his wrist to examine it.

  “How did you manage this?” She asked. “I have not seen anyone manage a splinter so big.”

  “I am sure you could make it go away.”

  Raliena glanced up at him. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “Do you not?” Kassen held her hand with his other one and stared at her intently.

  Raliena returned his look and tightened her lips while she pulled the large splinter out of his hand, twisting a little which made him moan in pain.

  “No.” She said, throwing the bark on the ground and walking away.

  Kassen followed her, a couple of paces behind, nursing his hand. Raliena could hear him sucking at his wound and spitting out the dirt. She was not angry with him however, which she found surprising. Perhaps it was because, despite finding him in such a rude manner this morning, she had deep down enjoyed the company. She had even forgotten for a moment why he had come to Verxia. After all, it was not his fault the sport was started in the first place, and she was grateful that he had not revealed her in front of the King.

  They neared the wooden gate into the castle and Raliena grabbed the rope that swung her across the muddy moat.

  “Oh.” She heard Kassen say behind her and couldn’t help smiling.

  Once she was across she threw him the rope back and watched as he skilfully glided through the air across the water. He was better at swinging on ropes than climbing trees.

  Raliena tied the rope away again, branches slightly obscuring it and had then started for the gate, when she felt the General’s hand lightly press against her back, making her pause and look back at him.

  “I don’t know how you did it but I would never tell anyone Sa Raliena,” he murmured, his body quite close to hers. “Not if you didn’t wish it.”

  For a moment she was taken aback by his sincerity and she felt the warmth of his hand on her spine fill her body with a longing she had tried to bury. The yearning she felt to tell someone everything, for someone to support her and understand what she was going through.

  In that small moment she almost told him everything, let it spill over and pour out of her very soul. The tears brimming in her eyes snapped her out of her overwhelming feelings and she quickly turned to open the gate and walked away from him as fast as she could.