by Ervin Agayan
For a while, Arsy sat with a screwed-up face, but his plaintively gurgling stomach made him lean over the plate. Nihena kept her triumphant glance fixed on him. Personally, she ate the porridge with utmost composure and without a shade of squeamishness on her face. For a few seconds, the room was immersed in silence. Finally, Zens sat back and looked at Nihena.
Noticing certain changes in the girl, he took a while to scrutinize her, trying to understand what was wrong, and finally, he exclaimed:
“Hey, Arsy, take a look. Nihena has changed her hair sticks. The ribbons are now red. Maybe it’s a sign of reconciliation?”
“Are you serious? Red is the color of war!” she answered quickly with a malicious smile and added in a milder tone. “In fact, I simply changed my style. Were you more attentive, you’d notice other changes as well.”
Zens quickly studied her from head to toe but didn’t find any other changes.
“You are wearing the same clothes,” he said, adding malignantly, “if these can actually be called clothes. By the way, I wonder who your stylist is; I have suspicions it’s actually a vendor of foolish ribbons.”
His words didn’t hurt Nihena. She was used to daily observations pertaining to her style, mostly from her mother, so she took them with utmost composure. Personally, she was happy with her appearance, which was the most important factor for her. Ignoring Zens’s remark, she continued with a big smile:
“Right, my clothes have not changed, but the jewelry has, just like the color of my nail polish. I have also changed my makeup.”
“Wait a second.” All of a sudden, Zens walked to her and breathed in the air. “Your perfume is also different.”
“You have a good sense of smell,” the little savage showed surprise and quickly added spitefully, “just like that of a dog.”
“I had time to get a sense of your previous fragrance, while I was holding you. It was jasmine, if I’m not mistaken.”
Nihena nodded affirmatively. Her expression reflected some kind of respect, which disappeared quite quickly and was replaced by a sneer.
“You are a lucky guy, Zens, to get a sense of my fragrance and not my fists!”
“I am personally shocked,” laughed Zens and added with a serious face, “given that I haven’t been lucky recently. It seems like the fates have finally smiled on me. By the way, who did you get dressed up for? Maybe we have some honored guests?” asked Zens with a sly smile.
“As honored as possible,” she answered, looking wryly at Arsy, who finished his portion of the porridge with obvious effort. “Two criminals, one of which, for the record, made me a marriage proposal.”
Suddenly, her face reflected a sharp guess, making her exclaim:
“Wait a minute, so you wanted to kidnap me, didn’t you?”
“You got us wrong,” Arsy hurried to refute her suspicions and added with a teacher’s tone: “For the avoidance of similar misunderstandings, it’s better not to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations.”
Arsy finished his meal then lay back on the couch again. Meanwhile, Zens took a second breath and added some more.
“I see, you like it. So much the better, I will treat you to this porridge every day,” joked Nihena.
“Every day?” Zens was about to drop the spoon from his hand.
“Of course, you are staying, aren’t you? Sensei Farin will be teaching you to fight.”
“Arsy will stay, but not me. I must go back.” Disappointment could be sensed in Zens’s voice; he didn’t want to leave that place.
“Understandably!” sneered Nihena maliciously. “Someone must make up for Arsy’s absence. One evildoer will replace the other one. And I was glad for a while, supposing that the people of Agastan will take some peace from criminals.”
“All the stories about Arsy are fabricated!” exclaimed Zens. “He earns money quite legally and even pays taxes. During all the time I’ve been working for him, I’ve never seen him rob anyone. All the rumors that he is allegedly the head of the criminal world are spread by his ill-wishers.”
Agastan never had such an honest and high-minded thief like Zens. Therefore, it was even more surprising how he had joined Arsy’s gang. Incidentally, it wasn’t easy to persuade Zens to escape from prison and join him; Arsy had to work really hard. Zens was against it, since he didn’t consider himself a criminal, while the escape could only aggravate his already unflattering situation. Arsy even had to promise him that they would not be turning to banditry, and if Zens didn’t like anything, he would always be able to go back to prison; however, those arguments didn’t convince Zens. All he wanted was to do his time in good faith and make a fresh start in his life.
Zens was persuaded by a mysterious visitor, who always visited him secretly in the dead of nights. But more on that later…
“Arsy pays taxes!” exclaimed Nihena, laughing. “Give me a break! Tell that to the horse marines!”
Laughing heartily, she became serious all at once and added: “That’s no good. I’m even kind of upset.”
“And what is the reason?” inquired Zens.
“That you are going to leave.” All of a sudden, she looked at him with a playful sparkle in her eyes. “I am looking for a suitor… Arsy is too weak-willed and isn’t a good fit for that role, but you could be considered!”
She stared at Zens playfully, while Zens was looking at her and wondering; at that moment, she wasn’t even close to the little savage who attacked Arsy just an hour ago. Back then, he couldn’t even imagine that this “wild girl” was capable of laughing, joking, flirting, and being feminine. This transformation astonished Zens to an extent that he kept looking at the girl open-mouthed, unable to believe that it was the same girl.
The Green-eyed Dreamboat
“Dreamboat”—that's the compliment Zens received most often. There was a good reason he was considered to be the most attractive thief in the kingdom, and of course, the young man enjoyed being the center of women’s attention. They pictured him as a rightful thief, who gave out the stolen goods to the poor, and each young woman dreamed of deserving his attention. Zens never used his good looks to achieve any goals. He simply remained who he was—cheerful, kind-hearted, and honest, though the last quality contradicted his job, namely robbing.
Being an “honorable” thief, Zens took goods only from those who were extremely rich, so he easily gave out the things he stole to those who were in need, understandably keeping a small “share” for himself. It’s quite possible that, due to such high-minded acts, Zens was loved by common people, who helped him escape justice with no remorse. It was for the same reason that the world’s rich men detested Zens with all their hearts; they portrayed him as a cunning and artful thief, who only dreamed about the alienation of their precious “goods and chattel.”
Tall, fit, and with outstanding muscle definition, he could be taken for a military man or even a mercenary with his upright posture and short haircut with shaved temples. Top this all with a sharply defined chin and high cheekbones, and you have the image of a “perfect soldier.” Nevertheless, Zens never had been a soldier. Obeying and complying with orders wasn’t his style. His neatly-groomed whiskers and small beard, which he was able to keep in shape even in jail, as well as his thin lips were almost always stretched in a mysterious smile, unfailingly calling to mind the fact that, above all, he was a thief. And of course, the main feature that gave away a man with a long record were his “foxy” green eyes, the shape and somewhat cunning sparkle that put in remembrance the aforementioned animal. It was his eyes that kept the correspondent in anticipation of a stumbling block that could appear at any moment.
That green-eyed dreamboat was also famous for being the life and soul of the party—someone who laughed most of all, was fond of jokes, enjoyed cheerful pastimes, and always spoke the truth, looking into the eye of the speaker, regardless of his status. As for Zens, despite his unofficial title of “the most handsome thief in the kingdom,” he didn’t have the reputation of
a ladies’ man who left a trail of broken hearts behind him.
“Hey, Zens,” said Arsy, “if I were you, I’d immediately confess everything to Nihena, so she doesn’t feel disappointed later.”
“What should you confess about?” The girl immediately cast a suspicious glance at Zens.
“Nothing!” The latter waved her away and looked at his friend, discontented. “Shut up, Arsy!”
However, his friend, apparently, wasn’t going to keep his mouth shut.
“Nihena, Zens has been married once, and he has a son.” He revealed his friend’s secret.
Nihena’s perfect eyebrows crawled upwards. “Seriously? Well…it’s a pity.” However, she immediately grinned. “Though, I should hardly be bothered. In fact, I don’t even like you.”
Zens’s stare, fixed on Arsy, was mockingly killing.
“Man…why did you spoil everything? I finally met a beautiful girl.”
“I saved you!” smiled Arsy. “It’s extremely dangerous to have such a girlfriend. Imagine what she’ll be capable of in a jealous rage.”
“Don’t you have normal friends, Arsy? Next time you come here, bring someone normal; I promise not to make scenes! I urgently need to find a suitor.” Nihena joked and added, “Well, I am certainly joking, by the way. I love making fun!”
It must be appropriate to speak about the status of divorced people in this world, and it was hardly anything to be envied. Those who weren’t lucky in marital life were considered second-class people. They never sat at the main tables during formal dinner parties; instead they had to take seats at a separate table, which was lain as far from “normal guests” as possible. Many venues didn’t serve divorcees, but that’s not the most terrible thing—entry to certain cities was simply prohibited!
This was the punishment for breaking the oath made at the altar in front of the God of love.
This was the reason, in Agastan, the search for one’s soul mate was turning into a meticulous process; there was no margin for error!
Of course, one can get married a second time, but who would be willing to make a family with a “second-class” person? Hence, the world abounded in divorcees and lonely people. However, if a “divorcee” did find a soul mate, he/she had to prove their marriage wouldn’t end the same way as the previous one. There was another thing to consider: anyone who concealed one’s status of a divorcee from one’s soul mate could lose one’s head, provided the offended mistress submitted a complaint to the relevant authorities. It was quite a weird and severe law, enforced across the entire world. As for Zens, he didn’t care a bit how high society treated divorced people, since he never relegated himself as nobility; he lived a backstreet life and ultimately wasn’t intending to get married a second time.
“Did you find out about the examination, Nihena?” asked Zens, changing the topic of conversation.
“Yes, I did. We’ll leave for it in an hour. It’s not going to be very tough. He will have to stand on his knees for two hours,” said Nihena and clarified, “well, we don’t consider it a tough challenge, but it’s very painful. An average man barely holds out a few minutes.”
“Will you help him to pass it?” Zens asked with a plaintive expression.
“Fat chance!” sneered Nihena and looked at the main hero of the examination. “Arsy seems to have swallowed his tongue. Is he always so incommunicative?”
Arsy sat back with his eyes closed and seemed to be asleep. His thoughts were so deeply taken over by memories of Parelia that he didn’t hear anything.
“Any man who loses a battle to a girl becomes taciturn with shame,” joked Zens.
Nihena stood up, walked to Arsy, and started patting him on the head.
“Peace?” Arsy asked immediately, opening his eyes. It became clear to everyone in the room that he wasn’t sleeping.
“No!” Nihena stepped back from him sharply, folding her arms across her chest. “Well, let’s assume you are not associated with Erathos, but I heard you speaking about some sort of games and plans of abduction. You were targeting me, weren’t you? You’d better come clean!”
“I’m telling you again, it has nothing to do with you,” Arsy pronounced patiently.
“Then who does it have to do with?” Nihena narrowed her lids with suspicion.
“Nobody.” Arsy tried to look as innocent as he could. “I was just joking.”
“So, it’s me! Confess! Why did you want to abduct me?” Nihena went back to where she was standing and fixed her stare on Zens.
“Arsy is in love with a girl.” The latter gave way under her assertive stare. “He was telling me, if he didn’t manage to win her heart, he’d have to abduct her. But it was a joke, understandably.”
“Who is he in love with?” Nihena’s blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Does she live here? Is it me?”
“You don’t know her,” Zens answered reluctantly.
“Arsy wouldn't have fallen in love with a simpleton. And if she is from the elite, then I know her for sure!” Nihena announced self-confidently.
“She’s a most ordinary girl,” Zens tried to talk her around, “and you don’t know her.”
“I can easily tell the truth from a lie, and you just lied to me,” Nihena declared confidently. “Now, I know that, not only is she an uncommon girl, but she’s unapproachable even for Arsy. Tell me who she is!”
“Are you good at keeping secrets?” Zens asked in a whisper.
“Yes!” Nihena whispered back.
“Me too, believe it or not!” grinned Zens and remembered something from the past.
It happened a few years ago during a robbery. The owners of the magnificent villa were not at home; they were vacationing when Zens, who had broken in, decided to live one day of his life as a nobleman. So, he put on an expensive silk robe, surrounded himself with delicacies, took a seat at the fireplace, and prepared to enjoy the indolent day. Unfortunately, he didn’t know that, before leaving, the owners of the villa gave the keys to the neighbors, so they could water the flowers now and then. Hardly had he enjoyed a few minutes of idle life, when the door opened and a young lady entered the room.
She wasn’t scared to find a stranger at the fireplace. For a few seconds, they simply looked at each other equally surprised, after which the young lady finally asked: “Who are you and what are you doing here?” At first, Zens wanted to run away, but the woman was so pretty that he was unable to force his stare away from her. The thief went up to her and asked in a whisper, “Are you good at keeping secrets?”
“Yes,” he heard her whisper. Zens touched her shoulder lightly and pronounced solemnly: “Me too.”
In a couple of months, they got married, though it took Zens a while to prove his love and commitment.
“Well, you may not tell me if you don’t want to,” said Nihena aggrievedly. “I will find out sooner or later. Let’s speak about you. Who do you want to abduct?”
Zens’s smile was more than charming.
“I like simple girls, such that don’t need to be abducted.”
“And why did you divorce?”
“It’s none of your business!” Zens answered sharply. He was obviously not intending to lay his heart bare in front of Nihena.
“You have been released from prison only recently, but Arsy already managed to involve you in dangerous adventures!” Nihena shook her head in disapproval.
Zens's green eyes widened as if they were about to fall out from their sockets.
How did she learn about the prison? Even the authorities did not know about his redemption yet. Poor Zens had yet to learn that mercenaries had psychic powers. These powers, among other things, helped them find people.
“To be honest, we expected a warm welcome,” Zens changed the subject again, examining the scanty dinner.
“That’s exactly what we accord to our guests,” Nihena smiled spitefully.
“Somehow, I don’t believe it,” Zens quipped skeptically.
“Well, you should! Even the pri
ncess was our guest a couple of times.”
Noticing his friend’s concentrated expression, Zens started inquiring about Parelia.
“So, you personally know the princess, don’t you?”
“Of course! What a silly question. We’ve known each other since childhood,” clarified Nihena. “I was a little girl when she visited us. I remember, Parelia was with Elmunia. It was then that I disliked her friend. She’s the direct opposite of the princess—master of insulting and getting tough with people.”
“Just like you…” sniffed Zens.
“I am rude only with criminals who deserve such an attitude,” clarified Nihena with a sarcastic smile.
“What about Parelia? Is she good?” inquired Zens.
“What a silly question! Of course, she is! She is adored by everyone in Agastan. Every time she visited us, she had a gift for me, a doll most of the time.” Saying this, Nihena’s mouth twisted wryly, clearly showing she was indifferent to such gifts. “But when I grew older, Parelia started inviting me to various events. She’s been very nice to me. I’d even say she takes care of me like an elder sister!” declared Nihena proudly.
“And do you often meet her nowadays?” Zens continued his interrogation, casting occasional glances at Arsy.
“After Arsy and Erathos’s revolution, not as often as it would be desired.” Nihena cast a furious glance at Arsy. “The last time we met was two months ago at a party held by her in Siyeron.”
“Does Parelia still remember what Arsy and Erathos did?”
“Are you kidding me?” grinned Nihena. “The princess says she won’t calm down until they are duly punished. Arsy and Erathos are perhaps the only people in Agastan, whom Parelia detests with all her heart.”
Nihena pronounced the last words looking at Arsy, and he had to make great efforts not to let a single muscle on his face flinch.
“Maybe Arsy should go and apologize to her,” suggested Zens. “He could put the whole blame on Erathos.”
