by John O.
Prince Reign was in no mood for a drawn-out debate. Besides, the commander seemed to have made a credible case for the insane conclusion. With a smile, he replied, “You make a fair point and we will indeed discuss it at a later time. Right now, however, I would like you to know that I’ll be away from my seat this morning. There are certain family matters that I need to attend to. I trust that you will be able to manage by yourself?”
“Of course I will, young prince. I am very grateful for the help that you render to us here at the headquarters. You are not obliged to, yet you do all this great work for us. Please take all the time you need.”
“I appreciate your kind words, commander. Until later,” he shook the commander by the hand before departing. As planned, he would first confirm for himself the story about his brothers before proceeding to make his move.
Sido ordered two cups of ale and returned to sit beside a maudlin Surita. They had somehow managed to make it to the South Shore Inn unnoticed. Surita had long stopped crying, though her mood had not brightened up by any measure. She was slowly coming to terms with her actions the previous night, and was beginning to accept the necessity of them.
“Here,” Sido said as he handed her one of the cups.
She accepted and began to sip slowly with vacant eyes that focused on nothing in particular. It was roughly over two hours past the Hen’s Hour and the inn was just beginning to get filled. Do these sailors do anything other than drink? Surita wondered. Within province gates, it was too early for places like this to have opened, talk less of being filled with customers. At the moment however, it presented the perfect place for the pair to blend in, and, for this, Surita was grateful. She looked at Sido and found him looking back at her. He smiled but she only looked away in return. Truth be told, she was grateful for every bit of his presence, for she knew not what would have become of her had he not accompanied her on this journey. The reason for her apathetic behavior was simply that whenever she looked at him, vivid images of the horrific night flashed through her mind involuntarily. It would pass, she knew; this was why she wasn’t too bothered about her present reaction.
“Surita, how long do you think we should stay before setting out again?” Sido asked.
“As long as we need to,” she replied tepidly.
Sido sighed before saying, “Take your frustration out on me all you want, but we need to have a plan. We cannot afford to lie idle here until we run out of money drinking ale.”
“Do whatever you want Sido, I’ll be fine by myself,” she said.
“You know what, Surita? Maybe that is exactly what I’ll do,” he replied as he stood up to leave.
“Wait,” she realized she had gone too far. “Forgive me. I’m a little out of character. We should look for a cheap lodge where we can rest for the day. That should give us enough time to regain our strength while the heat dies down. On the morrow, we’ll purchase horses and ride straight for the Helesp.”
Pacified, Sido sat once more and considered her plan. It was fair, he reasoned. They had hardly slept for an entire day and they were essentially worn out.
“Surita, I know you are averse to remembering the events at the Farm. However, I need to thank you, for you saved my life multiple times back there. I am forever indebted to you.”
Surita smiled and replied, “Sido Minabi, it was I who put you in harm’s way in the first place. You had no reason to depart your home to accompany me on this journey. So no, it is you who has saved my life.”
Sido took her hands in his and kissed them with deep affection. He would readily give his life for this woman, he knew.
Lily Bent departed the Helesp as soon as the task of delivering the letters was assigned to her. Her first stop had been the Head of Ceremonies, after which she decided to ride to the Foté Province to deliver the letters to the Aishe. She had just been through the gates of the Aishe’s manor when she was stopped by Lector Johatsu Foté.
“Greetings, Lily. To what end have you come to my father’s manor?”
“Greetings, Lector Johatsu. I come bearing letters for the Aishe. Is he home? I was instructed to deliver them to him in person.”
“How unfortunate. He departed not long ago. Perhaps you can leave them with me. I’ll be sure to deliver them to him myself.”
“That is kind of you to offer. However won’t that be against my orders?”
The Lector stepped closely towards her and ran his forefinger down her face, “Never mind your orders; I’ve missed you.”
Lily felt her loins moisten at the touch of his hand. In truth, she had hoped to not meet him here, which is why she had chosen to come at a time when he was expected to be occupied with training his Studes. Their affair had started a few months back, when the Lector had visited the Helesp to see his late brother Jetsi. An attractive man he was, he had winked at her while she sat at her duty post, the one to which Rahel was now assigned. The wink had piqued her, for she didn’t quite enjoy overt flirtation. She had later called him aside to set him straight, only to find herself charmed by his slithering tongue. The man had a way with words; a way that shattered all her defenses. Of course, the actual act did not occur on that day but, instead, occurred when she was later assigned to the Foté Province. She would sneak to his cottage late in the night where he would take her repeatedly until they were both spent. On the night where she lost her virginity to him, she had cried thereafter as a result of the guilt she felt for violating the sacred celibacy rule. Somehow, he had found a way to convince her of the HN’s folly in instituting such a rule in the first place. He succeeded and the burgeoning affair took firm roots for what was almost eight months.
On a fateful day, long after her station had returned to the Helesp, Lily was overwhelmed by so much desire that she found a way to convince Maya to alter her rounds in order for her to be on night duty at the Foté Province. When their usual rendezvous hour came, Lily made her way towards Johatsu’s cottage, only to find him thumping away at a serving woman who moaned wildly with pleasure. Mortified, Johatsu had run after her, explaining the situation away to a broken woman who could hear nothing but the echoing sounds of reality. She had been used. Whereas she felt love and desire, all the Lector felt was lust. She had been so hopeful that the relationship would lead somewhere that she did not see the end coming all along.
“Do you not feel the same, Lily? Have you not missed me at all?” The ever-so-persistent Lector’s question woke her from her slight reverie.
“Johatsu, you snake. This is not the time for this. I just want to complete my mission and be on my way.”
“Fine,” he said more sternly. “Come with me. I have the keys to my father’s study. Perhaps you’re not averse to leaving them by his lectern? He would see them when he returns.”
Lily considered the proposal. It wasn’t the best of options, but it was one that would afford her the opportunity to be free of the seductive Lector. "I guess that is a fair solution,” she replied and followed him into the manor. Johatsu led her to an inner room within the Aishe’s personal quarters, unlocked the door and ushered her in. As he had advised, she proceeded to place the letters on the table, arranging them in a manner that ensured the Aishe would not miss them.
Just as she was done, she felt the hands of the Lector caress her back down to her hips. Then came the husky voice which said, “Lily, Lily, how I’ve missed the touch of your skin. Allow me come into you once again, let me fill you up like you like.” He planted a light kiss on her neck as his fingers began to undress her. She was defenseless against him when he was like this. Like an enchanted slave, she allowed him turn her around and cusp her breasts as he began to suck on her nipples. Moaning now, the throbbing within her loins almost caused her to beg to be taken at that very moment. She restrained herself however, for she didn’t want to shortchange herself from the slow and steady pleasures that the man was sure to deliver.
She placed her hands on the back of his head as his tongue slithered down into her organ. Wit
h precision, he caressed all the right places within her, causing her to grip him tighter while she vibrated in sheer pleasure.
“Please… take me now…Johatsu, please…” she lost all form of control as he pushed her onto the table and penetrated her. The pounding that followed caused her eyes to roll uncontrollably until she felt herself burst with climax. A few moments later, Johatsu moaned in pleasure as he joined in the climactic finish. Breathing loudly, they both collapsed onto the floor, savoring every moment of their union.
After about five minutes, Lily found her voice, “Why do you use me so, Johatsu? You know what I always wanted, yet you refuse to consider it.”
“You know my position on wedding, dear one. It is too much of a bother, especially for a man like me who is typically unavailable due to my work.”
“When I caught you with that serving wench, it humiliated me−that you would consider betraying me with someone so low. Is that how you see me? Am I but a toy that you play with when you please?”
“This may not be what you want to hear, but in truth, I had needs. You had long departed and I couldn’t sleep without your touch. The reason I stooped so low with that woman was because I knew it could never mean anything. As I took her, I imagined her to be you. Never her, but all you, Lily.”
Lily wanted to believe him but she knew it was all words aimed at weakening whatever defenses she had left. With a sigh, she stood up and said, “I have to go now, Johatsu. Do not come after me, for we can never return to what we once were. Please ensure that the Aishe receives his letters, if anything, I trust that you will not fail me in that.”
“He definitely will. Please be safe, Lily. And make out time to visit more often,” he called after her as he watched her leave in haste.
Satisfied that his charm was still irresistible, he gathered himself and proceeded towards the lectern. What Lily hadn’t realized was that he had spotted the HN’s seal as she brandished the letters during their discussion. Not that he didn’t desire her any longer, but the only reason he had seduced her was simply to gain possession of those letters without unduly arousing any suspicion about his intent. Smiling, he opened the letters and read.
Zach Sen and Rahel Ni raced for the Ispris’ residence at near blinding speeds. Though not their intention, they found themselves in a healthy competition as to who was the better rider. At some point, after Zach realized that Rahel would not relinquish her competitiveness for the time being, he called out to her, “You ride better than most men I know. How did you learn?”
“My father. He taught me everything I know about horses,” she called back as they both began to slow down.
“It appears you are quite close to him.”
Rahel laughed and replied, “As a child, we did a few things together such as Strag and horse riding. But to be honest, I think the attention he gave me was not necessarily because he enjoyed my company. He only spent time with me because he felt I was in need of it, especially after my mother died. In any case it did not bother me, for I was happy to spend the time in that way. Enough about me, though; how was your relationship with your parents?”
A thoughtful Zach replied, “My mother taught me a great deal before she died. On the other hand, I hardly ever spoke with my step mother, for she was quite taciturn and introverted. My father and I were, what I would call, close friends. Sometimes, it felt as though we were brothers. I was his apprentice in almost everything.” The nostalgic note in Zach’s voice caused Rahel to empathize with him. For the umpteenth time, she looked into his eyes and smiled, causing him to light up again.
“Your uncle, Aishe Riko Sen, what is he like?”
“He is a nice man. Always calm and collected. He prefers a peaceful life and seems to desire nothing else, not even a wife. He loves to paint, just like I do. In general, he is a happy person.”
“That is good to know. I almost thought your father had returned to us when he walked in yesterday.”
Zach smiled and replied, “Indeed. Those two look quite alike. Their personalities, though, are far from comparable. My father was ebullient and well suited for war in contrast.”
“The cunning viper,” Rahel mused. “May the Almighty Spirit grant him peace with the goddess.”
The gigantic black gates opened as soon as Zach and Rahel approached it within five deer-runs from it. “Who comes?” came the voice of an Aispris who stood by the gate.
“I am Leade Zach Sen; with me is Spyinme Rahel Ni. We are here on account of an errand by the HN. May we see the Ispris?”
“Of course! Please come in. But you will have to wait some time, for she is praying as we speak.”
The pair rode into the Ispris’ residence and stopped by the verandah. As they alighted, Rahel could not help but admire the building and its ambience. Surely, this was the work of the fabled builder Harold Vin, she concluded. “This is beautiful, I must say,” she said to Zach.
“Nothing less can be expected of Harold,” replied Zach in admiration.
An Aispris emerged unto the verandah and beckoned them towards a couch. “Please take your seats, dear guests. As soon as the Ispris is ready, I’ll be here to escort you in.”
“Thank you,” they replied and did as she had bid.
“Wouldn’t you want to live in a place like this?” Rahel asked Zach after the Aispris had departed.
“Yes indeed. To be honest with you, to live quietly with my wife and children in a place like this is all I want out of life. I may be skilled at the sword and apt in matters of military strategy, but I feel most alive when painting in serenity. My uncle and I are much the same in this regard; the key difference being the fact that I desire to wed someday.”
The idea of Zach Sen having a wife that was not her engendered an uncertain feeling within Rahel. If she married him, she would have to kill him, according to the Sejuit code. At this point, she had already accepted that she would never be able to bring herself to kill him. Hence, the only logical conclusion was that she would not wed him, leaving him to start a family with some other woman.
“Does my desire trouble you?” Zach asked with some concern as to why she had suddenly become pensive.
“No, not at all,” Rahel replied with a smile.
Zach did not realize just how accurate he had been. Instead, he beheld her with near palpable compassion as they waited to complete the first phase of their mission.
22
“Set, what makes you so confident to believe you’ll defeat the HN?” One of the men asked.
“Ruki Sen should be forty-eight years of age by now. There is absolutely no way he would still be as quick as he used to be. I, on the other hand, have age on my side. What’s more, I’ve fought far more battles in the last eight years than the HN has in his entire life. When it comes to combat, you may describe my advantage over him as akin to those a wild animal has over a captive domesticated one. The demand for survival is far greater in the wild, and as such, the wild animal is forced to sharpen his senses and reflexes to danger. Its mobility and agility are, therefore, far enhanced in comparison. I must say that I await the duel with much anticipation.”
“Be careful not to underestimate him, though,” Sin warned
“Fair point. However, I can assure you that it is the HN who is at more risk of falling to that.”
“When you become the HN, what will become of us?” another asked.
“Isn’t that obvious, a leader is no leader if he does not have trustworthy people to rely on. You will all become my Leades, all except Sin of course. Sin will become the Island’s chief artist. That way, a regular source of income will be secure for you all. Smile fellows! A very bright future awaits us.”
Jin grinned as he spoke, “Your plan here is all hinged upon you defeating the HN in combat. What if you lose? What if, for some odd reason, the HN you seek is no longer the HN and his successor is one who is as young and fast as you? Should this be the case, what will then become of us?”
With a thoughtful look, Set re
plied, “You men should by now know that I would not risk your lives unnecessarily. Two days before we boarded this ship, recent word from the traders attested to the fact that Ruki Sen still holds that mantle. And in the event that I die in combat, you men can easily depart the Island without issue. You have done no wrong according to the law, and in my absence you men can fare well by yourselves. By law, I am allowed a dying wish if I were to be killed in such an honorable duel. Should things turn out unfavorably, my dying wish will be for you all to be made Sentors. You will earn a fair enough wage and still get to use your sword every now and then. This, I promise you.”
A man suddenly began to clap his hands and shortly after, others followed suit. Their leader, Set Yen, was indeed a man worth following. For, in all, Set always did his best to ensure his followers were well catered to. When they were done, Set seemed to be near tears of appreciation and joy.
“Thank you all for coming this far with me. I am truly grateful. I must depart now; I need proper sleep in my cabin. I’ll see you all later,” he concluded and made his way out of the hall amidst words of thanks and praise.
“The Ispris will see you now,” the Aispris announced. “Please come with me.”
Zach and Rahel arose and followed the Aispris into the living room with the Ispris already present. Upon beholding the Ispris, Zach let out a gasp of admiration, surprised at the woman’s beauty. Rahel was even more stunned. Before now, she considered herself the most beautiful woman in Lionea. With the Ispris before her, Rahel suddenly realized how wrong she had been. She was so heavily in shock that she missed a step and fell towards the floor. Zach was not quick enough as a result of his distraction, and as such, Rahel hit the floor head on.
“Rahel!” Zach called out to her as he dropped to his knees, realizing she was unconscious. He quickly elevated her legs and motioned for the Aispris to help maintain them in that position. He then proceeded to tilt her head backwards so that her chin rose above her head; after which he began to administer artificial breathing in order to resuscitate her. In time, she began to breathe normally and eventually opened her eyes to see Zach Sen’s worried face staring at her.
