Amyar wanted to tell Rouden that the harem had rules about such things, but he knew that was a lie. It wasn’t so much that there were rules. It was more that there were some things that were just not done. The harems existed to serve. Those who worked with the harems were known to be protective of their charges, but there was only so much they could do.
Amyar shifted on the cot. He couldn’t get comfortable, yet he was getting more tired. He wanted to lie down.
“I’m sorry that happened to you. I’ve heard things about my cousin,” Amyar said softly.
“Timendum is your cousin?”
Amyar nodded. “Distant but yes. My family is extensive.”
Suddenly, Rouden stood and began pacing around the little room. He seemed to be fretting. After several moments, Rouden dropped down on the stool again and leaned close to Amyar.
“You must come with me if you want to live. Do you want to get out of here?” Rouden kept his voice low.
Amyar wasn’t sure he could trust Rouden, but suspected this was a chance he should take. “But how?” He raised his hand that was chained to the wall. He pulled. The bolt holding the chain did not budge.
“Leave that to me.” Rouden stood again. “You should try to eat more. You’ll need your strength.”
Rouden left, and Amyar was alone once more.
Chapter Ten
Escape
Rouden walked up the stairs and managed to skulk past the room where his fellows were sleeping. He also managed to get past another room were a bunch of rebels were eating and drinking without being noticed. He was so hungry. It had been such a long day, but he couldn’t stop. Most of the food was probably gone anyway. Felkar’s ale, however, was no doubt in plentiful supply. The men broke out into a loud, messy rendition of the Blue Waters of Tanshar, a banned independence song. They sounded drunk. Rouden hoped they were.
When he got to the storeroom, he worked quickly, filling a pack with dried meat, beans, and stale bread. He also found some clothes and boots for Amyar to wear. He’d be far too conspicuous wearing his Thasali military getup. Rouden smiled, remembering how clean and polished Amyar had looked in his uniform when negotiations first began.
He wasn’t sure he was doing the right thing, but he knew he had to leave and take Amyar with him. This was no longer the right place for him. When it became known what he had done, the old accusations of him being a Thasali mole would resurface. Perhaps Wyke would lose respect for Rouden and come to regret being his mentor. He couldn’t think about that now. He had to go. He had just tucked a small hatchet into the pack when the door to the storeroom opened. Rouden looked up and saw Ankran standing there. He closed the door behind him.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I was just getting some stuff ready, in case we have to move out fast. We should be prepared.” Rouden hoped Ankran believed him. “Shouldn’t you be getting some rest? Thasali could attack at any time.”
Ankran, eyeing Rouden skeptically, said, “Did Wyke or Alban tell you to do that?”
Before Rouden could stop him, Ankran snatched the pack away. He rifled through it quickly, grunting and sighing.
“Not bad, but are you sure these boots will fit our guest?” asked Ankran. He held up a pair of dark brown boots made of sallabeast hide and had the placid look on his face he got when he wanted to look innocent.
Rouden opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before being able to get some words out. “How did you—?”
Ankran tossed the pack back to Rouden. “How long have I been knowing you, Rouden?”
He didn’t answer. Ankran filled the silence.
“I saw you light up when you saw the prince the first time. When you didn’t knock him out like you were supposed to, I knew you were hooked,” Ankran took a step closer to Rouden. “But whatever you’re going to do, do it now.”
“Why are you doing this?”
Ankran waved his right hand in a dismissive manner. “I don’t understand Wyke’s strategy. We should be prepping for confrontation with Thasali. We should have moved to more strategic positions already, but he has us just sitting around waiting. For what? I don’t understand your strategy either, but I love you. That’s enough. Now go before someone else notices.”
Rouden grabbed Ankran and kissed him. He’d kissed his friend’s lips so many times. He hoped this time would not be the last. He pulled away and turned to the door. He cracked it open, but closed it quickly. Mattix and another man were walking past and headed to the basement.
“Guard the prisoner for a few hours while I get some rest,” said Mattix. “That’ll impress Wyke and Alban.”
Rouden felt Ankran’s hand on his shoulder.
“Let me go first,” said Ankran. “He was talking to Eldrick. He’ll be guarding the prince now.”
“Who?”
“Some pretty pup who’s got stars in his eyes for Mattix. He does anything Mattix tells him to. Eldrick is very persuadable and not very smart. Leave it to me. Give me ten minutes.” Ankran slipped out of the store room.
Rouden doused the light in the room and waited. He kept the door open a crack. The singing got louder and more drunken. He heard a loud crash. Then he heard snoring and laughter. The minutes seemed to stretch on forever. When it was time, he headed to the top of the stairs. He walked past the dining room and glanced in. Some of the rebels were sleeping, with some snoring more gently than others. Mattix, Felkar, and another rebel were absorbed in bones, a game of chance involving black tiles and dice.
He got to the top of the stairs and heard Ankran talking loudly.
“This stuff is better than anything Felkar can make,” Ankran said. “It won’t take but a minute. No one will even know you’re gone.”
Rouden heard another voice, this one skeptical.
“Really? Why do we have to go outside?” Eldrick, the “pretty pup,” said.
“It’s something I share with very few people. Not even Wyke or Alban have tasted this stuff, but since it’s your first time, we should be near a ditch in case it doesn’t agree with you. It may go right through you, if you know what I mean. Don’t worry. I’ll be right there with you.”
The last thing Rouden heard Ankran say before he led Eldrick away from the prince’s prison was, “Mattix loves it.”
Rouden counted to ten after he heard the door to the outside close behind them before making his way downstairs. He stole into the little room and woke up Amyar.
“You’re back,” Amyar said, sounding sleepy.
“We haven’t got much time.” Rouden dropped his pack on the floor in front of the door, hoping it would slow anyone who tried to come in. He pulled a metal chip out of his pocket. He first worked on the lock on the chain holding Amyar’s ankle. The lock released, and the chain fell to the floor. The lock holding the chain around Amyar’s wrist was a little more challenging. Rouden had to climb onto the cot and straddle Amyar. The prince put his hands on Rouden’s thighs to help steady him, at least that’s what Rouden initially thought. He ignored the prince’s growing bulge in his pants while he worked on the lock. This one had 12 tumblers, and it took him a while to get through them all.
But he did. That chain fell away as well, leaving Amyar rubbing his reddened wrist. Before Rouden got off the cot, he leaned down closer to the prince’s face. His sly smile seemed to be holding back an array of emotions, but Rouden wanted to be clear about how he felt.
“I may have once been a harem boy, but I’m not one now. I won’t be your docile plaything.” Rouden got off the now stunned prince and removed the clothes and boots from the pack. “Put these on now. Quickly.”
Wordlessly, Amyar sprang into action, unbuttoning the coat and pants of his uniform and kicking off the military shoes that had been polished and shiny earlier in the day. He put on the blue pants, black shirt, and dark brown boots that made him look like every other Tansharian. Rouden also gave him a black cap to wear. He hoped the brim and its shadow would hide his green eyes.
Very few Tansharisns had green eyes and none had the gold flecks that made Amyar’s so beautiful.
With Amyar’s help, Rouden used the prince’s uniform and the cot’s coverings to make it look like someone was still lying on the cot. Rouden signaled Amyar to follow. They left the room and found themselves in an empty hallway. He was a little surprised at how quietly the prince moved as they rounded the corner into another hallway. For someone with no practical experience of the real world, he moved as though he were born to stealth. In Rouden’s experience, the royals he had known craved attention and would do anything to draw it to them. When they got to the end of the hallway, Rouden crouched down and felt along the wall until he found what he was looking for. He carefully opened a door about two feet in height.
“Get down,” Rouden whispered. “Through there.”
The prince glanced down the dark tunnel and hesitated. “This isn’t some Tansharian trick, is it?”
“Who do you want to take your chances with?” said Rouden. “If you turn back now, I won’t be able to protect you. I’ll barely be able to protect myself.”
Amyar got on his hands and knees and pushed himself through the opening. He looked back at Rouden.
“Keep going. I’ll catch up.” Rouden crawled in after Amyar. He closed the door behind him and took a small tube from one of the pockets on the pack. He opened the tube and, feeling his way around, squirted some of the fast-drying putty around the door, sealing it at least temporarily.
Rouden crawled quickly to catch up with Amyar. The soil was damp and there were pebbles that dug into his knees.
“Amyar!” he said in a loud whisper. “Where are you?”
“Here. Should I keep going?”
“Wait.” Rouden found his torch and switched it on. He moved quickly to catch up with Amyar and then squeezed by him in the narrow tunnel. They were pressed tightly against each other for just a moment before he made it past. Rouden had to admit that Amyar’s body against him felt good. “Follow me.”
They crawled several more yards before hitting a junction where the tunnel split into three. Rouden shined his torch at each of them. “This is the one,” he said and began crawling through the one that veered off to the right.
“Ow!” Amyar said.
“What’s wrong?” Rouden didn’t stop crawling. The faster they could get through the tunnel the better.
“I just hit a particularly sharp rock.”
“Did it cut you? Can you keep going?”
“No, I don’t think so, and yes. It’s awfully damp down here. How much longer will we have to do this?” asked Amyar.
“I said I’d get you out. I didn’t say it would be pleasant.”
Amyar sighed. “Apologies. Can you at least give me some idea of where we’re going?”
Still moving ahead, Rouden said, “Soon we’ll start going up, so you’ll notice an incline. This tunnel leads up into the mountains. I have a cabin there. That’s where we’re headed.”
Rouden was surprised when Amyar fell silent. He could hear him, though, still following closely behind. He hadn’t thought much beyond getting Amyar to the cabin. He still felt committed to the cause of independence for Tanshar, but Wyke’s desire to kill Amyar didn’t sit right with Rouden and not just because he found the prince irresistibly attractive. He felt it went against the spirit of what they were trying to achieve. He didn’t just want independence for Tanshar. He wanted freedom, and he didn’t want to swap one brutal ruler for another.
“Nearly there,” he managed to say while gasping a bit to get his breath. Breathing had become more difficult as the incline in the tunnel grew steeper, the air thinner.
He pulled himself forward through the mud and stones until he could move no farther. He pushed his hand ahead and hit branches and twigs.
They had arrived.
He pushed and pulled at the branches. Some snapped in two. Others, wet from recent rains, bent and curled under the pressure until a soft breeze from the outside tickled Rouden’s face.
“Almost,” whispered Rouden. He was tired of this dank tunnel. He needed out. He pushed more branches aside until finally they were through.
“Ah, that feels good,” said Amyar.
“It’s the best air in the world,” Rouden said.
He peered into darkness. The only sound was that of water dripping and hitting stone. They were out of the tunnel, but they weren’t outside yet. Rouden crawled through the opening and pulled Amyar through after him. Rouden reached up. It was high enough for him to stand. Good news. That meant no recent rockfalls. He stood and switched on his torch. Amyar sat on the ground, catching his breath. His trousers were caked in mud. His face was filthy.
“This is part of a network of caves that few, other than natives to Tanshar know about. You’re probably the first Thasali to see this,” Rouden said.
Amyar took a great gulp of air and tried to stand. Rouden helped him to his feet.
“I should have taken your advice about eating more. I’m ravenous. I hope your cabin has some refreshment,” Amyar said.
Rouden laughed. “Said like a true royal. Come on. The mouth of the cave is around that corner and then it’s a short hike to my cabin. There’s probably food there, but no servants. You’ll have to serve yourself.”
Rouden couldn’t help but giggle at Amyar’s look of confusion in response to that last remark. Rouden made a mental note not to slip into his harem boy ways. He may have rescued Amyar, but he would not be his servant.
Stepping out from the cave and into the mountainous Jehenne Forest made Rouden indescribably happy. The last time he remembered feeling this delighted was when he stopped at the cabin on his way home from Resedna after he’d left the harem. He’d stayed at the cabin for one night before heading home. He hadn’t sent a message to his family warning of his arrival. They embraced him when he did go home, but he wasn’t sure what to expect. He hadn’t wanted to be seen as a failure.
That night he had breathed fresh air as a man with no obligations. No one could call him to drop everything to serve their needs. He was free. He was safe.
Tonight, he was not quite as free, although he was glad to be away from the rebels. That surprised him. He believed in the cause, but something wasn’t right.
Amyar trudged behind him. His tread was heavier now, so he must be tired.
Through the canopy of the trees, Rouden saw the sky and a few stars here and there. The first sun wouldn’t be up for a few hours. He hoped they would have some time before they were discovered missing and the hunt would begin.
When they arrived at the cabin, Rouden felt a surge of pride. He opened the door, stepped inside, and shone the torch until he found a lamp on a small table. He lit the lamp and invited Amyar in.
“This is really yours?” Amyar asked.
Rouden nodded. “My younger brother and I built it. Our grandfather left us the land.”
“You built this.” Amyar ran his fingers over the walls. He stooped and touched the floor.
“It’s small, but we’ve had some good times here. No one else in our family will come up here. We should be safe at least for a little while.” Rouden found two stools and set them both down in the front room. He gestured at one of the stools for Amyar to sit down, but the prince kept roaming around.
“Have you forbidden them to come here?”
“Not at all. I think they see this is as a special place for Ingus, my brother, and me.” Rouden took the pack off his back and opened it. He noticed that Amyar would not sit down. The prince seemed to regard the small cabin with wonder.
“You built this,” the prince repeated.
Rouden laughed. “Yes. As I said before. Is it really so astonishing? We Tansharians have all kinds of skills.”
Now Amyar looked a little embarrassed. “It’s not that. The Matriarch and those who ruled before her are always commissioning buildings of all kinds. I’ve seen plans for some of them, but I’ve never met anyone who has built something befor
e.”
“I’m sure this can’t compare to what the Matriarch would commission.” Rouden watched Amyar closely. He still seemed awed by this simple construction.
“Not in size, of course, but it would never occur to me to build something of my own. I mean, I wouldn’t pick up tools and do something like this. Others do that for us.”
A biting remark about the laziness of royals and their dependence on someone else to do everything for them rose to Rouden’s lips, but he decided against saying that.
“I know it’s not much compared to what you’re used to, but I’ve enjoyed every moment I’ve spent here,” was what he said instead. “You spoke of refreshment. All I have to offer right now is some dried sallabeast meat and stale bread. Wait! Yes. Hold on.”
Rouden left the cabin and went around the back to a box he and Ingus had built to hold bottles of ale and wine. He brushed fallen leaves off the lid and opened it. He was relieved to see that there were a few bottles of wine. He brought two back with him.
“And we have wine!”
“This is quite the feast,” Amyar said finally sitting down on a stool.
Maybe the fatigue was catching up with Rouden at last, but he couldn’t tell if Amyar was being sarcastic or not. He decided he really didn’t care. Besides, Amyar didn’t look too bad with a little grime on him. Not bad at all.
They ate the meat and bits of bread and washed it all down with the green lake plum wine that Rouden’s mother had made shortly before her death a few years ago. After they finished eating, they went to the cabin’s other room to get some sleep.
Rouden handed the prince a mat and sheet to roll out on the wood floor.
“What am I supposed to do with this?” asked Amyar.
Rouden demonstrated with his own mat and sheet. Amyar stood there, seemingly waiting for Rouden to do more. He shook his head and lay down.
“You’re not in Resedna anymore,” said Rouden as he closed his eyes.
He listened to Amyar roll out the mat. Then he listened to the prince’s breathing until it was obvious that he was asleep. Rouden let his mind wander. He thought about his betrayal of the independence movement and Wyke. He thought about his betrayal of Amyar. Eventually, sleep came after he pushed everything else out of his mind except his first sight of Amyar.
Tales of the Thasali Harem Box Set Page 24
