Princess of the Damned

  Sayan stared at his reflection in the silverware. Had he changed so much in the eight years that she couldn’t recognize him? Surely his voice had changed, but his appearance hadn’t changed that much, had it?

  “Are you meaning you say that you would recognize me if I were a shepherd and not a prince?”

  Nala dropped the grapes onto the floor. She stared at him with an incomprehensible look in her eyes.

  “You said that I look like someone you knew, but it couldn’t be because of my status?”

  “The person I know is only a shepherd.”

  “Are you in some sort of denial or are you just used to strange men whisking you away?”

  “The person I knew would never talk to me like that.”

  “Be damned with the person you used to know!” He flipped the table over with a kick. “I will never be so gullible again!”

  “Say…Sayan?”

  He grinned. “It’s funny that I used to like it when you called my name.”

  “Is it…really you?”

  “In the flesh.”

  She rose up and leaned toward him. Her eyes were searching for familiar features. He jerked away when her hands reached for his face.

  “Will you answer my question now? What happened to you after you abandoned me?”

  “I didn’t realize you had felt abandoned…”

  “There really wasn’t any other way to feel.”

  “If I had let you stay with me, you would have been captured….maybe even killed.”

  “Instead of asking me, instead of walking the road with me, you made the decision for me.” He scoffed. “I hate people like you the most. I won’t believe anything you tell me again.”

  She fell into silence.

  “Why are you marrying the Western Prince?”

  She looked up. “Three years after I went into hiding, I got caught. I thought the prime minister had finally captured me, but it turned out to be Prince Ce. He told me he fell in love with me at first sight and wanted me to be his wife.”

  “And you agreed?”

  “There is more to it than that, but yes, I agreed.”

  “Then I’m sorry for intruding on your happiness.”

  “How did you-”

  “…Become Prince of the Northern Kingdom?” he interrupted. “I have you to thank for that. After you abandoned me, I joined the Black Army. I went to war, crushed a few rebellions, and eventually gained the attention of the King. That old man was so afraid of me, or rather, he was so afraid I would rebel against him that he wanted to buy my loyalty with the title ‘Prince’ even though Kings almost never adopt sons. People thought that he had gone senile, but he was quite cunning. He forced me to take an oath to never rebel against him or his descendants and he knows that I am a man of my words. From then on, I do his sinister biddings to help him clear the path for his own son. In a few short words, I became a tool – a weapon.”

  “You are not happy.” It wasn’t a question.

  “I am far from happy,” he admitted. “However, it was a tradeoff I could not refuse.”

  The battlefield of the Eastern Kingdom was littered with rotting corpses. The vultures descended from the sky to feast on the remains. The white fabric of a broken flag was being carried away by the wind up into the air to a nearby city. There was celebration music inside the gated city. Wines were served to the surviving soldiers to commemorate their victory. This small victory would buy them some time until reinforcements arrived.

  Drunk with the hope of seeing their loved ones again, the soldiers toasted one another. They could have easily been one of the corpses left out to rot. As much as they like to honor their dead, they did not have the man power or the resources to bury them all. They were confined to the gated city walls for protection in case the enemies returned.

  Laughter was cut short when an eerie wind mysteriously put out all of the fires. The soldiers quickly picked up their weapons to defend themselves from the enemies hiding in darkness. They did not know how the enemies had gotten through the gate without their detection, but it wasn’t the time for questions. They needed to rely on their instincts now more than ever.

  There were many screams that came to an abrupt end. The shadows were moving in all directions. With every scream, they were one fewer. The fires burned again, spreading light to the surrounding area. There was one soldier left standing, shaking to see his enemies. Bright glowing eyes and jaunty smirks were staring at him. There were so many of them.

  “We missed one.” The one with grey eyes laughed. He came to the soldier’s side and placed and arm over his shoulder. “What’s that in your hand? Wine?”

  “He didn’t pick up his weapon, so we didn’t hear the sound of metal cutting through the air.” A red haired female reported.

  “Oh?” The grey eyed one guided the soldier through the crowd. “So you are just slow to react. And here I thought there was something special about you. What’s your name, boy?”

  The soldier was shaking when he saw the blood on the man’s hands dripping down his armor. He was too afraid to open his mouth.

  “How did a coward like you end up in the military anyway?”

  “T-they…drafted…”

  “So you can speak,”

  “Let him go.” A voice commanded.

  The cloaked figures looked around to find the owner of the voice. They found him stepping out of the shadow. Each and every one of them was taken back when they sensed his intimidating aura. His hair was as brilliant as the stars in the sky and his powerful blue eyes demanded their obedience.

  The grey eyed one left the soldier’s side and traced to the stranger. The soldier took the opportunity to escape. A female demon stopped his way and severed his head with her razor sharp nails.

  “What do we have here?” He sniffed. “I know you are a demon, but the scent of human on you is strong. No, not another’s. Oh, I see…I’ve never met a half-breed before.”

  The cloaked figures whispered among each other.

  “I didn’t think such a union would be possible.” Grey Eyes laughed. “I know there are some that have interests in those cattle, but to breed with one…”

  “I would watch my mouth, if I were you,” the stranger warned.

  “What is your name?”

  “It is completely irrelevant, but if you must know, I am called Trent.”

  “I know that name. So you are the one who has been meddling with our kind. You have guts.”

  “I have more than just guts and I am not shy to demonstrate.” The stranger sent Grey Eyes flying into the wall with a glance of his eyes.

  “He’s…using telekinesis?!”

  “Now that I have your undivided attention, send a message back to your leader as many before you have. Do not interfere with the humans. If she remains stubborn, I will personally be coming for her.”

  “How dare you half-breed threaten our queen?”

  “You keep calling me ‘half-breed’, but do you even know what you are?” Trent sunk into the shadow. “Deliver the message for me.”

  “Why didn’t you attack the half-breed?” Grey Eyes shouted at his comrades.

  “W-we…we couldn’t move. Our feet were rooted to the ground…”

  “What!?”

  Chapter Seven

  Swirls of sand chased each other endlessly across the vast distance of the desert.

  Sayan raised a hand to signal his men to stop. He turned around to inspect his group and found there were fewer than when they started off that morning. The number had dwindled to nearly half. They are surrounded by nothing but sand. Where could they have gone?

  “I told you there is something in the sand.” Nala’s pale green eyes looked up at him.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Bandits,” she whispered, “they’re hiding under the sand. You see the little tiny straws sticking up? That’s how they breathe.”

  Sayan unsheathed his heavy blade and stabbed it into the sand. Fresh blood started gushing
out from the beige sand. His men followed his example and soon, all of the sand surrounding them was dyed with the color red.

  “More of them are coming this way,” Nala pointed toward the South, “hundreds of them.”

  “Are you sure? Bandits usually don’t band together in this number.”

  She nodded. “There are at least four hundred of them. We’re grossly outnumbered.”

  “They come at a good time. I’m in a really sour mood.”

  “Your soldiers are exhausted and dehydrated.” Nala pointed out.

  “Shhhh, just lower your head.” He guided her head toward the horse’s neck. “Don’t make any sudden movements.”

  The cloud of sand must be them. Like he said, it was rare for bandits to gather in this number. Their chain of command is too chaotic and there just isn’t enough loot to maintain a group that large. Desperation would explain why they are attacking soldiers of the Black Army.

  Sayan could see their faces then. The leader was a youth with long wavy brown hair riding on the front camel. He wielded dual swords, one on each hand. The rest of his followers looked common enough.

  A man jumped out of the sand and startled the horse. It leaped into the air and knocked off its riders. Sayan held on tight to Nala as they tumbled onto the sand. Surprise screams between silent moments meant more of the soldiers were disappearing. To think a bunch of bandits came up with these tactics.

  “Hold on tight to me.” Sayan instructed.

  “I could help.”

  “Be quiet and cling on to me!”

  Sayan slashed off the hands that were pulling at his feet. It would have been more convenient if he was still on horseback. He could charge at the enemies and slice them through with his blade. It certainly would have saved more time, but then again, horses are not the best mount on a desert battlefield.

  The leader jumped off of his camel and came at him with the twin swords. His movements were quick and precise. Sayan blocked the attack with his heavy blade and slashed away the others who were coming at him in one fluid movement.

  “That’s one nifty weapon you’ve got there,” the leader said with a wide grin. “Is that a woman you’ve got there?”

  Sayan was not in the mood to chat. He used his free hand to press her face against his chest. He took a quick glance at his surrounding and realized there were only a few of his soldiers left standing. Nala was right about them being exhausted from the travel. They didn’t have much fight left in them.

  Blood jumped into the air like fireworks. Anyone who came within three meters of him became victim to his blade. The bandits were more hesitant to attack after that. They were slower, shakier, and easier to kill. The radius of his circle grew wider as they slowly backed away. Only the leader was facing him now.

  “Wielding such a massive weapon has to take a toll on your stamina, and it won’t be long until you fall face first into the sand.”

  Sayan could hear the mocking tone in the leader’s voice. Little did the man know that the weapon he had had been familiar to him since he was a child, and had become an extension of himself. Anything lighter wouldn’t feel right.

  “I wouldn’t worry about that, if I were you.”

  “I didn’t realize you nobles could even wield a weapon. Most of you just stuff yourselves fat with food. I say, you don’t look fat at all. You are quite handsome to say the least.”

  “You must have gotten the wrong impression. I am not interested in men.”

  The young leader laughed. “I am more interested in your ransom. You must be a very wealthy noble’s son to have such a large escort.”

  “This is very elaborate for kidnapping and ransom.”

  “It’s not like these men have anything better to do,” he gestured toward his followers. “No job, no home, and hungry mouths to feed. A noble like you wouldn’t know anything about that.”

  Like hell he didn’t.

  “The woman…let me see her face. Maybe she can sell for a good price if she is pretty.”

  Sayan raised up his blade in a defensive position. “Let’s end this already. Come at me.”

  The bandits flinched at the invitation. They looked to one another to assess if it was worth the risk and declined. They used to be civilians after all.

  The young leader sighed. “Look at what you’ve done. You’ve made cowards out of all of my followers. I guess I have no choice but to let you go.”

  Sayan pulled Nala’s hood further down to cover her face. He held her hand and led her through the crowd. The bandits couldn’t wait to get out of his way. He helped her on the horse first before mounted it beside her.

  They weren’t safe yet. Sayan urged the horse to pick up its speed. The bandits could change their minds and shower them with arrows as long as they were still in range. He was confident his blade could stop them, but he was not alone, and if any of the arrows found Nala, she may not have survived it. It was best to be safe.

  The blade stopped before it severed her head from her neck. He was sleeping soundly next to the fire one minute and was ready for combat the next. Sayan let out a sigh of relief that he was able to stop himself in time. He lowered his blade and pulled her closer to examine her neck. There was no cut.

  “Did I scare you?” he asked.

  “Not really,” she picked up the blade and rested it on her lap. The reflection of the full moon was very vivid. She turned the surface of the blade toward her and stared at her reflection. A lock of hair fell off her shoulder and brushed by the edge of the blade. The lock severed and fell onto the ground.

  “It will cut through your bones if you are not careful with it.”

  “Would you believe that it won’t cut me?” She asked.

  “A weapon is a weapon, Nala.”

  She ran her fingers over the edge of the blade. He caught her by the wrist and pulled it away. “Nala!” He quickly examined her hand, but there was no cut on it. He stared into her pale green eyes, but they shied away. “You are nothing but reckless!”

  There was a hint of surprise on his face when she laughed. He let go of her wrist and got up on his feet. After the little excitement that day, he had forgotten that they hadn’t eaten anything since that morning. They had a small supply of water on the horse, but even that would not sustain them through the desert. Snakes and scorpions may be on the menu if their situations came to that.

  Either way, he needed to find something edible for her.

  “Sayan!”

  He turned around immediately when he heard her scream out his name. He immediately ran back to where he’d left her, and cursed himself for leaving her by herself. He’d foolishly let down his guard. There was only a lone fire in the middle of the desert now. She was gone.

  Those bandits were going to pay for this.

  Her captor waved the torch in front of her.

  He caught her chin and lifted up so he could get a clear view of her face. The hood fell back, freeing locks of platinum hair. Her pale green eyes challengingly looked up at him. When he made no other movement, she pulled the hood back over her head.

  “So this is what that bastard’s been hiding,” her captor grinned. “Forget a noble’s ransom, I could sell you to a prince and get half of a kingdom’s treasury!”

  “Really, boss?” A subordinate asked. “Is she really worth that much? My wife is very sick and needs some extra money.”

  “I may have exaggerated a bit, but she is worth more than that bastard’s ransom. Her value will easily triple depending on one very important condition. Don’t worry; you will all get a bonus.”

  There were cheers all around.

  “What condition, boss?”

  “Girl! Are you still a virgin?” When he did not get a reply from her, he grabbed her hood from the back and pulled down on a handful of her hair. She was forced to look up at him. “Are you deaf!? I asked you a question!”

  What was she supposed to say to him when she didn’t even know? She hadn’t had any relationship with a man since
she lost her memories, but she didn’t know anything that may have happened prior to that.

  “Maybe she really is deaf, boss.”

  “No, I heard her yell out his name when we abducted her. Deaf people are born mute too.” The man sighed. “If she doesn’t want to answer me, there are other ways of finding out. We will have a physician examine her. I’m debating if I should keep her for myself. The sweet thing hasn’t fought back since we brought her here. I like docile women.” He looked into her eyes. “Perhaps you have taken a liking to me?”

  She pulled away. Since she could remember, she had never thought of any man as attractive. Even the Western prince was no different. He was handsome, kind, and heir to a kingdom. Sometimes, she wondered what she was looking for in a man.

  She didn’t know her exact age, but she knew that women her age were already married and with children. There were times when she just wanted to marry a man and start a family. Any good man would do. Those thoughts quickly dissipated when she thought about spending the rest of her life with a person she felt nothing for.

  That is until she met him.

  While she was trying to escape the pursuit of the Red Army, she slipped off an old bridge and was washed away by the menacing current. She thought that would be her watery grave, until she felt herself being pulled to the surface. She coughed up the amount the water the current forced her to swallow.

  Her savior was a man with almost identical color hair. The moment she looks into his blue eyes, her heart felt stabbed. Not a thump or a skip, but a painful stab, piercing her soul. Fragmented images of the past flashed before her eyes. There were so many images rushing through her mind that she thought her head was going to explode. Of different times, of different places, but it was always of him.

  She knew him in the past.

  She may have even loved him, but her mind was trying hard to close him out. She was afraid of him. A fear she had never felt before wrapped around her like a blanket of thorns. She only wanted to scream out. She just wanted to chase him away so that her mind could find peace again. When she opened her eyes again, she was alone.