Kingdom of Lies (3 page)

Sahar walked to the market with armed guards as her escort. She wasn’t dumb enough to believe for a second that this puffed up king was just going to let her leave of her own free will. His hatred of women was deeply engrained. But she didn’t regret coming alone. No doubt he would have held any ally of hers hostage to ensure further co-operation. Right now she would bide her time until she was able to slip away unnoticed.

She purchased some fruits and vegetables to have the cook make a meal for her. Meat was something she only partook in when necessary. While it was delicious she was always mindful of what died to provide her that form of sustenance. In Firara it was forbidden to those not participating in heavy physical activity to partake in the eating of meet. Sometimes it was shared when foreigners visited to relieve anxiety and keep up merriment. An illusion that turned Sahar’s stomach when she heard true thoughts after the foreigners left. King Dakk’s guards had offered her money to make the purchase but she had her own. No doubt her rejection would get back to his highness.

“I am ready to return to the palace,” Sahar sighed.

Back in her paradise prison Sahar decided to walk around. This castle was less magnificent than others she had visited. A trip to Evinara on a mission of alliance and worship took her to the only kingdom whose architecture could compete with her home kingdom. Still this one was sturdy and while among the smallest she had seen it was still being expanded. No doubt at the expense of the less fortunate and a pleasing sight to the ruler’s ever growing ego.

The sound of sobbing had her take a turn and walk until she found the source. Magic born often had up to 30 percent better hearing than the average and hers was in the region of 20 percent. This person was clearly trying to stifle the sound. But Sahar could tell that it was female and sounded very distressed.

“Excuse me,” Sahar called out upon seeing a figure sitting by a window draped shut, “please don’t run, I won’t tell anyone about what I heard, I swear.”

“Why are you walking around here?” Ceya wiped her tears, “this area is off limits, you could get in serious trouble for being here.”

“Then why are you here?” Sahar countered since she doubted this king made exceptions to females.

Ceya looked away. “He’s going to kill me.”

“What? Why?” Sahar asked horrified.

“He wants his concubines completely submissive and obsessed with him,” Ceya let out a shaky breath, “I try my best but it’s never good enough. Rumor is he already has his eye on another girl and since he always keeps us at the limit, he has to let one of us go.”

“So you have to be killed?”

“No, but King Dakk would never allow a woman who has lain with him to leave his side,” Ceya sighed.

“That pompous goat,” Sahar growled, “I know of men like him. Completely full of themselves and think woman are supposed to kiss their feet all day. In fact, goat is too good for him. At least they have a purpose and give as well as take.”

“What?” Ceya was confused.

“In my home kingdom animals that eat away vegetation are very unpopular,” Sahar told her.

“Oh,” Ceya realized, “I know we hardly know each other but I need your help,” she said, “the king is not an evil man but…sometimes…I wish he was dead,” she confessed.

“No surprise there,” Sahar said dryly, “I have a plan to get out but it isn’t made for two. Taking you along would put me in great danger,” she confessed.

Ceya started crying again. “But you are my only shot. Please, I don’t want to die. My family is safe if I disappear. But I try to seek their help and get caught he will punish both of us.”

Sahar wanted to drag her hair out. This kingdom made her poverty line nomadic life seem like a life of luxury in comparison. No wonder the king sometimes sent soldiers out to capture women to give birth to more slave children. Any lady worth her salt would try to escape this place or at least make herself barren. But Ceya had lived in Sluvic all her life. It probably took a lot for this concubine to even think of the idea of escape after living in what would definitely be considered by less wealthy citizens as living in the lap of luxury. “Fine, we can both try to escape together. You can just pretend to be trying to get me to open up about Tarr or start liking the king.”

“Thank you so much,” Ceya hugged her tight, “I promise to follow all your instructions.”

Sahar hugged her back. “You better.”

Tarr ran her hand along the wall above the quivering girl in her holding. It was a close call catching this one. She had thought Sahar put up in a village somewhere hiding or doing missions spreading peace. But instead members of Blood Knot overheard this girl gushing about how Sahar was off in the Sluvic warning the king of an evil approaching his kingdom. That the days of the deadly one were numbered and the villagers only needed to keep faith and believe in the power of hope. Before nightfall every villager was dead and this talkative girl dragged off for questioning. So far no answers had been drawn by the other members no matter how bad the beating. Now it was Tarr’s turn and she had no doubt that her touch was much more fearsome than the hands of her followers.

“Look at your face,” Tarr purred, “once so beautiful now beaten and bloody. Your leader Sahar has forsaken you. Why serve such a person with powers that only really protect herself?” she kneeled next to the girl who made herself smaller, “touching me won’t bring you harm. Only if I decide to touch you myself will your life end at on so young an age. What are you? Thirteen, fourteen…”

“Fifteen,” the girl said then covered her mouth.

“Oh, my followers say that your name is Quenina,” Tarr continued, “I am sorry to say that Sahar is not what she seems. You were not there when I was banished. Banished because I was willing to do what was necessary to protect us. Punishing evil soldiers and their associates didn’t sit right with her despite the fact that they killed many of us that day. A few survivors were even taken captive. Sadly by the time I arrived the caravan had left with them. All I will say is that caught slaves are never treated as horrible as those still within Quatz walls. It is worse, like a daytime stroll in comparison to being skinned in a torture chamber.”

Quenina trembled and soiled herself. “Our group preaches peace and only kills in self defense not revenge. Going after those soldiers was wrong.”

“Really? Do you want to hurt me because of what I did to that village?” Tarr asked, “because of you do then you are going against Sahar’s naïve teachings which don’t mess with the real realm.”

“Alara is a realm of love and beauty. Ugliness creeps in only when people allow darkness into their hearts and doing misdeeds. Revenge is the ultimate misdeed because you are committing an evil act with no true benefit and also as an act of spite.”

Tarr laughed, it had been a while since she had heard Sahar’s garbage. “So I am cleansing the realm for spite? Leaving this world clean and new is an act of spite. Sahar has really got your pretty little head twisted Quenina. I am not your enemy, she is.”

Quenina looked uncertain and kept looking all over the place. “Sahar is a good person,” she insisted, “she saved me from being a forced village bride to a warring band of monsters.”

“Did she kill those monsters?” Tarr asked.

Quenina looked away. “No, she tricked them into losing a game. She said that she learned the ropes from her home kingdom. She called it the kingdom of tricksters.”

“Aw, so you follow a trickster and think I’m the only unholy one here. Quenina, do you want that warring band gone? Would you like your people free, truly, not just you?”

“You would do that? But…I am nobody.”

Tarr leaned in her face almost touching. “You are a member of Blood Knot; my community is protected by our bond to each other. Will you do me the honor of joining us?”

“Will you save my people is you do?”

“Our people, yes I will, right now.”

Quenina’s mouth fell open in shock. “But you have your mission…”

“Is now to free your people and prove to you that my way is the truth. No tricks, your people will be freed and I will only ask if any would like to join Blood Knot’s cause.”

“You are truly magnificent,” Quenina breathed, “Sahar said you were a monster. That you didn’t care about others…not only are you beautiful but you are also strong and fierce.”

“Sahar is a coward who surrounds herself with those willing to be pawns and targets to keep her protected,” Tarr stated, “almost all of my members are still alive and I wasn’t trained from birth to use my powers. Do you even know if she is truly even trying? After all by your own words you did admit that she was a trickster and such people only look out for one person in the end.”

Quenina balled her fists. “Sahar placed us in separate villages to help hide us from your detection. She decided to go to Sluvic by herself. When anyone questioned that she said it was best to gain the trust of the king.”

“That’s funny since King Dakk hates women,” Tarr said allowing Qenina to rise and be untied.

“I wondered about that,” Quenina said her purple eyes filled with anger, “Sahar said that he would listen to her. I was so damn stupid! She probably abandoned us and this separation was a tactic to keep us a part!”

Tarr smiled. Sometimes the easiest way to turn someone into a traitor was to create doubt. Now this teen would be ready to tell her everything she needed to know. “Now let your fellow members clean you up and dress you to make your entry into the community official. I will announce a detour to your village in the next hour.”

Quenina hugged her. “Thank you so much Tarr!”

“Mistress Tarr,” nearby woman admonished.

“She will learn,” Tarr smiled, “go on young one and welcome.”

After Quenina was gone she turned to the woman who had remained behind and admonished Quenina moments ago. “Pinn, you are one of my most dedicated and loyal. See to it that the others are kept satisfied with my detour and know that I will no longer be targeting Sluvic first.”

“Where will we be going instead?” Pinn asked.

“The outlying villages, then I will give Sahar a true reason to hate me. Tell no one but Firara will be our new first kingdom target. When the time is right, I will give an official revelation.”

Pinn nodded and went about her mission.

Tarr punched the wall drawing blood. She couldn’t believe that Sahar had the nerve to try and interfere. She would make that conniving redhead wish she was never born.

The End.