The memory of that day made her heart ache.
The voices of the bandits brought her back to reality. They were shouting and they were panicking. The word ‘bastard’ came up a lot in their sentences, but there were too many people talking at once to tell what they were talking about.
Screams broke out between clashes of metals.
The scent of blood was everywhere.
Her name was being called.
“That bastard found our hide out?” Her captor muttered a chain of curses.
The screams were getting closer and soon Sayan was in sight. With the thrusting of his blade he made his way through the camp. His body was dripping with blood and sweat.
“What are you waiting for? Shoot him with your arrows!”
The blade knocked off most of the arrows, but one found its way into his shoulder. He gritted his teeth and broke the arrow in half. Another wave of arrows came at him and missed completely.
Her captor grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her toward him. He pressed a sword against her neck and forced her to move back with him.
“Come any closer and she dies!” Her captor threatened. “Drop your weapon!”
Sayan paused where he stood.
“I mean it, drop your weapon!” The sword was pressed so tightly to her neck that a line of blood dripped onto the sand. Her captor meant to do that.
Nala shook her head, but she knew Sayan should not listen. When she saw him loosen his grip on the blade, she quickly grabbed the sword with her bare hands. She pushed it out of the way and ran toward him. Her captor was momentarily stunned by her action, but he quickly snapped out of it. One of his twin blades penetrated her from the back all the way to the front.
“Nala!”
Stream of blood gushed out from the corner of her mouth.
Sayan gripped tightly on his sword and charged at her captor. Within three moves, her captor’s head flew into the air. It dropped onto the sand and rolled toward his followers. Frightened and confused, they scattered into the dark of the night.
He caught her before she fell forward onto the ground. The blood from her stomach stained his forearm.
“That was stupid! Stupid!”
“P-pull it out,” she instructed.
He grabbed the sword handle and pulled it out in one quick motion. She gasped painfully as more blood gushed out of the wound.
“Don’t die, damn it!” He laid her down and applied pressure on her wound. “I haven’t forgiven you yet, so don’t die!”
“I-I’m not going to die.” She closed her eyes. “It just…it just hurt for a little while.”
“Shut up already, you’re bleeding too much!”
“Even if I die…I won’t stay dead.”
“That’s the spirit,”
“No, really…” She faintly smiled. “It’s my…little secret.”
Trent flinched at the sudden pain below his chest.
Something must have happened to Nala. What other explanation was there? He had the sudden urge to go see Nala, but he knew that it was not in her best interest or his. She would fall in love with him all over again, just as she did before. It wasn’t the first time she had tried to forget him, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. Some things are better forgotten.
His heart ached to see her. He wanted to know what had caused her pain. Trent troublesomely sighed. An immortal worrying about another immortal, what had the world come to?
She was right about one thing – she wasn’t the only one being affected by the pull. The only difference between them is he could rationalize it while she could not. She could not tell the distinction between manipulation and love. The universe of the physical world wanted to restore the former balance – to make them one again – but that was impossible.
There were multiple times when she would claim that they were soul mates. That theory was made up by humans to make their love more significant. If they were originally one entity, like him and Nala, he wondered if it would be all that romantic. He felt uncomfortable with the subject. Things would be much simpler if she remained his instinct. At least then their relationship had a clear defined line. His instinct was his brother – his twin.
He wanted to see Nala.
Trent shook his head to deny himself. He would not succumb to his emotion again. He did not want a repeat of what happened. She had suffered enough.
Sometimes he envied her that she could chose to forget while he could not afford such pleasure. This time, he would not come within a ten mile radius of her, even if he had to chain himself up to do it. There had to be a cure to this. There had to be! He refused to believe that he lived in a world full of magic, but none of them could cure them both of this…heartache.
Only then could he take her to their mother. Lucifer would find out about Nala eventually, but their mother didn’t have to know. Not yet. He needed more time. Nala hated him for breaking his promise and refusing to let her see their mother. He didn’t care if he was hated. He needed more time to fix whatever needed fixing so that his heart would be free of her.
Chapter Eight
The man he had called father for the last four years had been assassinated.
Although Sayan was never particularly fond of the man, he hadn’t deserved to die in his bed. His father had always wanted to die a heroic death on the battlefield. Sayan could imagine the agony in the old man’s heart at the moment of his death.
He was walking down the corridor leading to the coronation room with his general when he heard his name being called. He paused and turned around. His brother, the crown prince, caught up to him with his four attendants. He was dressed in a King’s attire, all but the crown. His biological father had just passed away last night, but there was not a hint of sadness on his face.
“And where do you think you’re going?” The crown prince asked.
“I am attending your coronation, brother.”
“Your majesty,” the crown prince corrected. “You shall address me as ‘your majesty’ from now on. Your presence will not be required at my coronation.”
Sayan politely bowed his head. “Yes, Majesty.”
“I heard rumors that you returned with a wench instead of a princess, is that true?” The crown prince chuckled. “I didn’t think you could marry a princess, anyway. Go, return to your whore.”
Sayan gritted his teeth. He shot a glare at the crown prince, sending the coward staggering toward his attendants. Sayan walked pass the crown prince, ignoring the indiscreet insults.
His general and right hand man, Malin, kept up with his angry pace.
“The fool doesn’t know the thin line he is walking on,” Malin commented. “I wouldn’t feel too comfortable on the throne if I were him.”
“Ignore him,” Sayan said.
“You didn’t deny it, so the rumors must be true. Who is this mystery woman and what ever happened to the Western Princess?”
“I suddenly lost interest in the political marriage,” Sayan confessed. “The princess was more of a liability than an asset.”
Malin smiled. “May I see this mystery woman of yours? The more you try to keep her a secret, the more I am interested to find out.”
“There isn’t any secret, Malin.”
“Is she the bride you’ve chosen?”
Sayan paused in his tracks. “We are not romantically involved. All I can tell you is that she is the most important person in my life.”
“Important, but not in a relationship between a man and a woman…” Malin raised his left brow. “I’m even more curious now. Is she beautiful?”
Sayan chose not to answer that question. He picked up his pace again. “If you are that curious, then come with me.”
“Aren’t you afraid that Nora will be jealous?”
“What is there to be jealous of? Was there anything worth noting while I was gone?’
“The war between the Eastern and Southern Kingdom still persists, but I’ve received news that the Southern Kingdom will
prevail soon. The Eastern Kingdom had sent ambassadors seeking help, but your father remained neutral. This time, they’re sending a princess to seek an alliance through marriage.”
“Who does she seek marriage with?”
Malin grinned. “The Eastern Kingdom clearly sees you as the future, but in this situation, the princess Essa will have to marry whoever will take her. I heard that her beauty is comparable to a goddess. She will have no trouble seducing our new King. It’s sad really.”
“What is?”
“If she succeeds, then she will have to marry that coward of a king. Not to mention he has the intelligence of a pig. The more I think about serving him, the more I… ah, let’s forget I said that.”
The servants lined up at the courtyard to greet their master. The General’s eyes searched around for the mystery woman, and found a strange face in the crowd. He walked up to her and examined her with his eyes.
“She is quite beautiful, what is her name?”
The servant girl blushed at his compliment.
Sayan walked passed them and into the private quarter.
“Not her?” The General followed him. “If it were her, I’m not disappointed.”
The prince stopped in front of the door and turned to the woman standing in front.
“It is her?”
“Did she finish her meal?” Sayan asked.
The servant girl shook her head and stepped out of the way. “The lady only took a few small bites and told me to take it away.”
Sayan opened the door and walked in.
“She’s in the garden,” the servant girl quickly informed him. “She asked me not to follow her.”
The General followed Sayan to the garden and was surprised to see a young girl sitting on a tree branch only three or four feet above ground. Her bare feet swung back and forth with the tail of her white gown, as the snowflakes gently floated down her long platinum hair. She turned around when she heard her name being called. Her pale green eyes briefly met his.
Sayan took off his cloak and placed it on her shoulders.
“Half of the year is governed by snow, but the other half is like spring. There will be fruits soon.” Sayan almost forgot about his companion. “This is Malin, my most trusted General.”
She smiled politely at the General. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She waited for a reply, but he stood there like a statue.
“Is he…well?” She asked Sayan.
Sayan ignored the question. “The cold is not good for your wound.”
She placed a hand over her belly. “It’s completely healed.”
Sayan lowered his eyes. If he had not seen it for himself, he wouldn’t have believed her. Her flesh was smooth and supple only hours after she had been pierced. There wasn’t even a scar left behind. He had forgotten about that just now.
“Is there an explanation for you to be barefoot?”
He picked her up into his arms and carried her inside.
“I don’t know which one of us is more stubborn.” She got back on her feet as soon as they are reached the door to her room. “You opened your wound, didn’t you?”
She placed a hand on his shoulder. Unlike her wound, his had just begun to heal. The servant girl jumped at the sight of blood dripping onto the floor and rushed out of the door. “I will fetch the physician!”
“I thought you said you were going to your brother’s coronation.” She helped him removes his armor.
“I wasn’t invited.”
She placed the first piece of armor on the table and then the second next to it. “He told you he doesn’t want you there?”
“He doesn’t think much of me.” Sayan stared at his hands. “To him, I am nothing more than his father’s killing tool.”
“Which one of you has more control of the military?”
“Why do you want to know?”
She chuckled. “Are you suspicious of me?”
“He only has control of the royal troops.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to get rid of you. You are his biggest threat.” She smiled nervously when he looked up at her pale green eyes. “I shouldn’t-”
“It’s fine. Even a child can see that. He still needs me to secure his borders for him, so he won’t get rid of me just yet.”
She removed the last piece of armor and the tunic underneath. Blood from his shoulder wound ran down his chest and onto his abdomen. It was warm at first, but then it became cold almost instantly when exposed to the air.
The physician and the servant girl rushed into the room. They quickly bowed as required by protocol and then attended to his wound immediately.
“Hot water and clean towels,” the physician instructed the servant girl. She hurried.
The physician examined the arrow wound with his shaking hands. He paid more attention to Sayan’s facial expression than he did to the injury.
“He’s not going to kill you if the treatment hurts.” Nala smiled to lighten the mood. “Just treat him as a normal patient.”
“Y-yes” The physician pressed on the area next to the wound to examine the tissues. The servant girl returned very quickly with the hot water and clean towels. “The original cut was clean, so the wound will have no problem healing again, as soon as we can stop the bleeding.”
Nala attentively watched to the physician’s treatment.
It didn’t look hard at all. If she had the tools he used, she could repeat it exactly. Nala flinched when a small fragment of memory entered her mind. She was treating an open wound of a man’s belly. Her hands were entirely covered in blood. There was hot water and towels just like the ones on the table. The memory zoomed into the surface of the water. The reflection wasn’t her own. No, the memory wasn’t her own. It belongs to another.
But whose did it belong to?
Her eyes trailed from the wound to other parts of his body. His shoulders were broad. His chest was built, rising and falling with each breath. The muscles lined up tightly at his abdomen. She brought her hands to her cheeks when she felt a slightly burning sensation on her face.
She quickly turned away when he looked her way. She didn’t understand why she had the impulse to hide her face from him. It was as if looking at the coloring on her face would reveal some sort of deep, dark secret.
“Your Highness! Prince Sayan!” A female voice came from the outside. Her footsteps came closer until they stopped at the door. A woman with wavy brown hair and dark brown eyes flung herself at Sayan. “I came as soon as I heard that you’ve returned! I ask that you take care of yourself before you leave, but you always come back with wounds on your body. Is it serious? Does it hurt?”
“It’s only a minor wound.”
The woman let out a sob. “My heart aches to see you like this.”
Nala observed the situation and when she got a hint, a little giggle came from her.
“What is so funny?” Sayan asked.
The woman turned to face Nala. “You must be the new favorite the servants have been talking about. I-I am Nora.”
“New favorite?” Nala slightly raised her left brow. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Could you be referring to Sayan and me?”
“I-I have been very curious since I heard about you. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I know this place like the back of my hand.”
“Thank you, but I do not plan to stay here for long.”
Sayan came to her side and pulled her up by the wrist. “Where do you intend to go? You will stay here indefinitely.”
Nala made a ‘tsk’ sound with her tongue. “You’re going to open your wound again.”
“You try and run away again. If I catch you, and there is no doubt that I will, I won’t give you the freedom to walk around anymore. I’ll chain you to the bed if I have to.”
“When did I ever try to run away?” She pulled her wrist back. “I am not used to this new side of you.”
“Then you better get use
d to it. Like I said before, I will never be as gullible as I was before. I will never allow anyone to walk away from me, especially you. If I no longer want you around anymore, then I will end it by my own terms. Then, and only then can you be free of me.”
“How long have you known me? I have had many threats in my life, but I’ve never succumbed to even one. The more you challenge me, the more I want to leave. Get out of my way, I’m leaving right now!”
He pulled her by the shoulder and shoved her onto the bed. “Are you too used to me doing everything your way? Let me tell you, Nala, I can be twice as stubborn as you.”
“Your highness! Your wound is bleeding again!” Nora screamed out.
“You know better than to threaten me,” she said in a much softer voice when she saw that he was in pain. She got off the bed and snatched a clean towel from the servant. “Sit down!” She gestured toward the bed.
He had an unwilling expression on his face, but he did what he was asked. She dipped the clean towel into the warm water and cleansed the dripping blood. The physician was standing by her side with instruction on how to bandage it up.
It was by complete coincidence that the royalties of the Western and Eastern Kingdom arrived on the same day. Sayan and his General waited to greet them at the palace’s entrance. Even though their countries were at war with one another at one point or another, protocol demanded that they treat each other civilly during visitation.
The first group to arrive was the Prince and Princess of the Western Kingdom. Sayan greeted them as though it was their first meeting. He obviously noticed the Prince’s hostility toward him and no doubt he had come for his bride-to-be. His sister, the princess, could not hide the excitement of seeing him again. She wore a red velvet gown that dove low at her breasts and filled in the gap with a finely crafted ruby necklace.
Second to arrive, very shortly after, was the Princess of the Eastern Kingdom. She arrived on a silver carriage embellished with precious stones. She wore a white silk gown, held together by a diamond encrusted belt below her full breasts. The cut of her gown showed glimpses of her diamond encrusted sandals. Even her hair was dusted with diamond specks to take advantage of daylight. They say that a woman’s clothes reflect her pride, and if this is indeed true, this woman was unmistakably a princess.