by Ervin Agayan
“Hold on a second; let me see. Oh right, my hand is on your waist,” said Arsy jokingly.
“And what is it doing there? Ask it, I’m curious,” Parelia answered with the same playful voice.
“Hold on. I’ll ask.” Arsy ducked his head. “It says it’s holding the most charming girl in the world.”
“Now ask it, who gave it permission?”
“Just a second… I can’t believe it! It appears the left hand is boiling over the fact that the right hand can touch such a beauty, while it can’t.”
“Tell them both the beauty will get uptight, and the owner of the left hand will have a tough time,” said Parelia.
“The owner of the left hand lost courage and immediately took it away.”
“Good boy!” Parelia praised him, opening her eyes. “Shall we start?”
“Sure, this time I will definitely win,” answered Arsy, imagining a 10-minute kiss. This time, he would win, whatever it took.
They began to look into each other's eyes. Parelia had no idea why she was flirting with him. On one hand, the guy was extremely attractive, but on the other hand, he was a criminal!
Deep in her heart, she believed Arsy was talking down on himself; he was a criminal in all but name. Even if he did something wrong, it would be a petty crime at the very most.
It should be said that Erania was constantly telling her to steer clear of that beast.
A beast… Now she was looking at him and didn’t see a beast. On the contrary, these beautiful eyes belonged to a cheerful and energetic young man.
Yes, he was extremely bold and liked to feel up; plus, he was scurvy, uneducated…but none of these were crimes, were they?
“Wow, you held out a minute already,” whispered Parelia.
“Are we supposed to be talking?”
“Absolutely not. I’ll keep silent if that’s what you want.”
“Do you often play this game?” Arsy asked, trying to focus only on her eyes.
“I played it when I was a little girl, and I should confess no one ever beat me.”
“Really?”
“Yes, the only person who showed decent resistance was a friend of mine; I remember, the battle lasted hours.”
“The battle?”
“Yup! This game is a real battle.” Parelia nodded, not taking her eyes off him. “My girlfriend even used all sorts of tricks to divert my attention—for example, she made her face as all kinds of monsters, but even that couldn’t slacken my vigilance.
You must have guessed who this friend was. It was Elmunia. She always liked extravagant clothes and makeup, but growing older, she went over the edge appearing at parties in such fancy dresses. It’s Elmunia after all! Only a daredevil would make fun of her image, in which case, the dare-devil wouldn’t escape with life and limb… no exaggeration!
“You mean, I have absolutely no chance of winning?” Arsy grinned.
“No Arsy. I will simply kill you.”
“Kill me?” Arsy asked in surprise.
“Well, that’s the term we use in this game in the case of winning.”
“I have a suggestion.”
“Go ahead.”
“We can stop this game right now, and each of us fulfills the wish of the other one.”
“No way! I settled for a kiss because I am confident in my victory. If I had any doubts, I wouldn’t settle even for a one-second kiss.”
This fact could be argued, though. In such a game, chances were good that Arsy would win, and that was the reason Parelia could suppose she’d have to kiss him…the first time in her life.
She wasn’t an iron lady after all, but an ordinary human with feelings, dreams, and desires. However, this girl had a difficult fate. Some might think being a princess is easy: you sit in a castle, drowning in luxury, surrounded by protection and care. But, in fact, no one would envy such a fate: Parelia's life was sometimes an intolerable experience. Surrounded on all sides by envious persons and sycophants, the girl could not reveal her soul to anyone. She could not share her thoughts or have a heart-to-heart talk with anyone, not to mention the endless rules and restrictions. And all this under the watchful eye of society, which, for a moment, did not let her out of sight.
Now, she was free like a heavenly bird with no rules to comply with and no prohibitions, while he was the icing on the cake. The mysterious young man… he’s here, right in front of her, looking into her eyes…She wasn’t dreaming, or was she?
No, she wasn’t. He was looking at her with enchanted eyes… or she might be dreaming after all!
“You meanie!” cried out Arsy.
“I’m not a meanie, but I am a reasonable girl who doesn’t kiss thieves and rascals,” argued Parelia with a smile.
Her craftiness was obvious, as well as the fact that losing wouldn’t be a catastrophe for her…
“Life made me the way I am. It’s not my fault.”
“Tell your stories to someone else.”
“Where did you live in your childhood years?” asked Arsy unexpectedly.
“Mostly in Siyeron.”
“I used to go there quite often.”
“And what were you doing there?” Parelia asked, squinting her eyes.
“Searching for food in dumpsters.”
“Phew! But you don’t really reek!” Parelia started intellectualizing.
“Right, I have taken a shower since then,” Arsy joked, and both burst out laughing.
“No, seriously, did you used to visit your relatives?”
“Relatives? You must be kidding. I don’t have a single relative in the wide-wide world, no one close to me. I wasn’t joking about the dumpsters.”
“So, you intentionally travelled to Siyeron to search for food in the dumpsters?” asked Parelia dazedly.
“No. I went there for a different purpose. But sometimes, I ran out of money, so I had to find food so as not to die of starvation.”
“Phew!” exclaimed Parelia.
“It’s hard to please you: stealing is bad, not stealing is also bad,” uttered Arsy indignantly.
“Did you ever think of a third, perhaps the most reasonable, option—working?”
“I was a kid. What job could I do?”
“Listen, if you’re telling me all this to make me feel sorry for you, then your efforts are void. Who asked you to escape from the orphanage? You chose your life!”
“Of course, you can judge me; you’ve never been in an orphanage and don’t have the foggiest notion of what’s going on there.”
“Stop lying, Arsy. I often visit orphan asylums in Agastan. I’ve never seen people who complained of anything.”
“You are right. A lot has changed now,” Arsy nodded, “but when the princess didn’t address that question, the situation was terrible. Just think about it. Would she spend any time on that matter if there were no problems?”
“Because, she adores children, especially those with whom the fate played evil games. The princess wants a happy future for these children.”
It is needless to say how much Parelia loves children.
“OK, you are right. Even then, one could live at an orphanage. But that turned out to be not for me. I wanted to be independent. So, why do you visit orphanages?” asked Arsy.
“Because…I was accompanying Parelia. That is why I am conversant in all this, and you can hardly take advantage of me. You never told me the real reason you went to Siyeron so often?”
“I went there because there are lots of wealthy people in Siyeron,” explained Arsy.
“So, you went there to investigate the content of their pockets?” Parelia frowned.
“You bet!”
Parelia couldn’t get her head around why he was speaking down on himself, or maybe he wasn’t really fabricating things?
“If you ended up digging the dumpsters, I assume those investigations must have been unsuccessful,” she concluded.
“You suppose stealing is the easy way?” asked Arsy.
“How
do I know? I have never stolen a thing.”
“It’s a tough profession. I was caught and lashed a few times before I learnt the basics. When I grew older, I was not only lashed but also arrested.”
Again, he was speaking of his criminal life with pride.
“Poor thing,” said Parelia with sarcasm.
“There was a time they detained me and kept me in the basement for a few days, giving me only water. When they released me, they lashed me so badly that I lost consciousness. They threw my body in the garbage bin. The first thing I did after coming around was search for food.
“Why didn’t you report to the police to claim punishment of your torturers?”
“I personally punished them later on. I am the most vindictive person in Agastan. I always take revenge on anyone who causes me pain, even after 10 years.”
Parelia couldn’t even imagine how revengeful he was, while his revenge was cruel and severe. When he grew older, many people got to know his bad reputation and tried to steer clear of him… if they only could….
“How did you punish them?” asked Parelia.
“That’s not important,” Arsy answered evasively and added, “You’d rather not know.”
“Did you kill them? Tell me!” asked Parelia in terror.
“Of course, I didn’t. You know I am not a murderer.”
“What did you do then?”
“I came back a few years later and started robbing them. In just a year, they became so poor, they had to start begging,” said Arsy, covering up some details, such as setting his offenders’ houses on fire.
“That’s it?” Parelia asked, feeling some relief deep down.
“Isn’t that enough?”
“I thought your revenge would be more severe.”
“Well, I believe that was enough!”
“I am not like you. I am big-hearted and not revengeful, so I always forget and forgive а short time afterwards.”
“Your beautiful eyes tell me you’re kind and big-hearted.”
“What else do they tell you?” Parelia asked with bated breath.
“I see sadness, endless sadness,” Arsy seriously answered, “though you’re trying to conceal it under playful ways.”
“You are mistaken.” Parelia smiled. “I’m the happiest person in Agastan.”
“That’s not true; I feel how lonely you are.”
“I have lots of friends and acquaintances. How can I be lonely?”
At that moment, Parelia could hardly restrain herself from not taking her eyes off him. Arsy had touched one of her most unpleasant topics. At that moment, she did not want to look into his eyes for the eyes were a mirror of the soul. The princess was afraid he would see in her eyes a reflection of loneliness, which she often felt. Nevertheless, she wasn't going to lose, and she didn't look away.
“Then, I might be wrong.”
“Well, sometimes, I do feel lonely, but you could hardly see it in my eyes.”
“So, where does the sense of loneliness come from?” asked Arsy.
“That’s none of your business.” The princess pouted.
“But I know the answer.” Arsy grinned.
“And?”
“You are sad because you can’t find your soul mate.”
Parelia did not respond to this for a long time. However, her beautiful eyes flashed with something like sadness or fear.
“Guessed correctly?” Arsy realized he had hit the nail on the head, so it was, rather, a statement than a question.
“Yes…” whispered Parelia.
Ah! It is such a challenge for a princess to find a soul mate. Not only that; she should like her betrothed. He also had to meet all the parameters of the future king and get approval from her advisers, friends, attendants, and practically all of Agastan!
And here he was: a mysterious young man, who was often discussed in the company of her friends, who was on her mind not once or twice. He was right there, holding her hand, looking into her eyes… and it was not a dream!
But his criminal past and equally criminal present blemished the fairy tale.
How could a person like him become a king? He simply couldn’t!
What a stupid fate she had! After so many years, she had finally met a person who was really interesting to her and such a controversy!
“Then you must be really lucky to have found… me,” said Arsy in a gentle voice.
“Very funny,” Parelia grinned, “or do you think I have always been dreaming of a criminal husband?”
“I’ll become another person for you…”
“You’ve already informed me of your intentions to take up an honest job: production of boha,” mentioned Parelia ironically.
Not only is the production of this drink strictly forbidden in the kingdom, but Parelia was leading a “Holy War” against it. Now, it appeared that Arsy wants to do it.
“If you don’t approve of this idea, I will find another job. I am ready to do anything for you,” said Arsy. He was really honest with her, and it was honesty that Parelia liked about Arsy most of all. He might indeed be a rascal, but he’s an open-minded person, which suggested he was hardly capable of lying or cheating. However, that was a misconception. Unlike with others, Arsy was sincere with her, telling her everything about himself without secrets.
“Maybe another time,” said Parelia, shaking her head.
“Another time?”
“In another life…” she whispered.
Nothing prevented her from flirting…maybe even kissing him, but making him a king – no way!
“I want it in this life.”
“In this life, it is impossible,” repeated Parelia, shaking her head.
And indeed, even if only a tenth part of what Arsy was telling her turned out to be true, there was no way he could become king, even if Parelia fell head over heels in love with him.
“Only not for me. I will struggle to the last breath…” said Arsy, while his voice was trembling with excitement.
“Just half an hour ago, you were ready to forget me, because Erik asked you to do so,” reminded the princess.
“Even death can’t make me forget you,” said Arsy firmly. “I’m just pretending.”
“So, you’re not a wimp.” She smiled.
“Life will show who I am.”
Those were simply words to which Parelia didn’t attach importance, but she hardly knew that, a few years later, Arsy would be ready to destroy the world and plunge it in chaos only to know that she belonged to him…
And then, of course, she would bitterly regret having flirted with Arsy.
“I’ll ask Erania to write a book about you.”
“I didn’t know Erania wrote books,” said Arsy in surprise.
“Of course, she does. So, you haven’t read them?”
“No, I am not a book lover. Is she a famous author?”
Arsy had hardly read a book to the end in his entire life. He tried to read a couple of times, but after a few pages, he was bored and wondered how such a boring activity could engage anyone.
“And what do you think, considering the fact that even the princess is one of her fans?”
Parelia had a fancy for Erania’s writing from childhood. But Erania was a self-contained person, and it was hard to make friends with her at first. She hardly ever appeared at parties, and even if she did, she was quite unsociable. She could stand somewhere in the corner the whole day watching everyone.
However, even the secluded and reserved Erania could not resist Parelia’s great heart and cheerful character, and after making friends, they became inseparable, though Erania didn’t change a bit; she remained as reserved as before. In some sense, cheerful, quick-witted, and adventurous Parelia, who loved snarky jokes, was her antipode. Her jokes could easily make anyone blush! She was also blithesome, ambitious, energetic, and self-confident…
As for Erania, she was so humble and shy that this would be the only information about her, as she’d listen to you, nodding sil
ently and leaving you clueless about her personality.
Of course, you can get to know her through a great many of her books, but even if you read them all, you still won’t come any closer to Erania’s mysterious personality. It’s good that Parelia didn’t find out who she really was, since she would be bitterly disappointed, though the time will come, and she will know and hate her rightfully, but before that happened, they were good friends. Parelia was closer to Erania than to her childhood friend Elmunia.
You have read about Elmunia quite a lot in this book, and you must have been thinking of her as of a witch. You should be asking how Parelia could be friends with such an evil creature like Elmunia. The answer is simple: Parelia was extremely naïve to notice the traitors around her and all that was going on.
Unlike Parelia, Erania wasn’t naïve; she was well-aware of the dangerous game she was playing. Elmunia had immense power over Erania, and it was Elmunia who insisted Erania participate in that operation because she trusted her. Elmunia was in love with Erathos, who turned her down, since he wanted to marry Parelia and become the king. Elmunia was obviously against it, and in a few years, she incited the entire Agayan movement against Erathos so he was first exhaled from Okstren and then left with no chances of taking the leadership of the Agayan movement. She formed a powerful coalition against Erathos.
As you can see, it was no wonder that Arsy and Erathos maintained the all-night vigil; they feared for their lives. It goes without saying that Elmunia wouldn’t harm Erathos. She loved him, after all, and her goal was to prevent him from becoming the leader of the movement, courting Parelia and eventually becoming the king.
With Erania’s help, they made a trap for Erathos, following an extremely crafty plan, and Erathos got trapped.
However, Erathos wasn’t the kind of man to surrender easily. After all, he was compared to Satan for a reason. In a few months’ time, realizing the marriage with Parelia was impossible, he set upon…a revolution! You already know what happened next.
“Really? So she’s famous?” This was hard-hitting news for Arsy.
“She’s the most famous author in Agastan. You’re so ignorant…”
“I don’t know. What you just told me was shocking news for me! I would never assume Erania was a famous author of books.”
