The Stolen Prince (Blood for Blood Book 1) (19 page)

“Can a tattoo be imitated?” the king asked.

“No,” Truthsinger said. “Perhaps among the lowest ranks, where it is simply a local Keeper of the Present that does the tattooing for farmers or other laborers. But the keepers in the Citadel only tattoo the highest–ranking Alem. The ink is made here, and the design cannot be imitated by anyone but a keeper. It is a tightly held secret.”

King Arden nodded, more disturbed now. Perhaps the soldier was mistaken. Perhaps he hadn’t seen correctly.

“Why these questions?” Truthsinger ventured to ask, glancing at Rangi.

King Arden trusted these men. He decided to confide in them. “The soldier that returned from the area where the slaves were freed. He said that he saw a boy there, one who was come of age but still a young man. This boy… wore the tattoo of a prince.”

“The Prince of Atmen?” Rangi asked.

“Yes,” King Arden said. “He killed those soldiers and freed the Terra slaves. He wore Terra clothing. I don’t understand how the Terra could have imitated the tattoo.”

“Perhaps the soldier didn’t see correctly,” Rangi suggested.

Truthsinger shook his head. “The mark of royalty is meant to be distinct. Recognizable. It is the boldest and most complicated of designs. Sir, it cannot be duplicated.”

The king sat down, worried and disturbed. “Fetch my daughter, Truthsinger.” The king hadn’t spoken to Kara since he’d released Azure from the dungeon a few days ago. “Don’t tell the queen anything of this news.”

“I won’t breathe it to a soul,” Truthsinger said and exited. Kara arrived soon after.

“You wanted me, Father?”

King Arden nodded. “Let’s walk.”

The king guided his daughter into the gallery for a stroll.

***

Kara hadn’t meant to spy, not intentionally. Sarita had stepped out for a moment on their way to visit the queen, and Kara had only passed the council room. She wanted to talk with her father about Azure, but she didn’t have the courage. He had been out of the dungeon for a few days now, and it appeared that nothing had changed. No one shamed him or treated him like anything less. He resumed guard duty as normal. Everyone was fine but Kara. The only time she had seen Azure, he stood as still as a statue with a face of stone.

She was thinking about all this when she wandered near the open door. Where she had heard the details of the attack on the outer village.

My brother is alive, and mother was right.
What would it mean for Atmen if her dead brother returned?

In her confusion, she felt a growing hatred for the Terra. She had been scared of them all her life, but now she was angry. It if were all true, how dare they steal her brother, drive the king mad with grief, and then raise the Prince of Atmen to be one of them. It disgusted her.

Her father didn’t mention her brother as they walked through the gallery. Instead, he stopped in front of a painting of their ancestors.

“Kara,” he said, taking her hand tenderly. “I’m worried about your mother. I know how strong you are—too strong to be a confined princess in the citadel.” Kara smiled at her father. This was the king she loved. He grew serious. “I charge you to be your mother’s second, understand? As we get closer to a greater conflict, I have to be sure she is protected by someone I trust.”

Kara felt overwhelming forgiveness toward her father. He trusted her. He was giving her a sacred charge, and she intended to follow it. “Of course, Father.”

The king nodded, smiling, allowing Kara to see his pride in her. He dismissed himself from the gallery, and soon Kara was back in her chambers, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden responsibility of knowledge she carried.

“What is troubling you, Princess?” Sarita asked as Kara changed into her outdoor dress and cloak. The prince had finally agreed to let Kara show him the village. They were going out that afternoon… in the blizzard. “Are you still upset about Azure?”

“I wish I had the courage to talk to him. But I wasn’t thinking about that right now. I was thinking about my mother.”

Sarita nodded. Kara grabbed her dagger off of the dresser to slip into her petticoat.

“Kara, is that really necessary?” Sarita scolded. “You will be under an entire guard, and the prince will be there as well.”

“You’re right,” Kara said and let the knife drop back on the table. She was grown up now, a princess. Instead she slipped two apples and a pear into her pockets when Sarita turned her back. She had to feel secretive about something!

“Sarita,” Kara said, “I overheard something today that I shouldn’t have.”

“I don’t want to hear it then,” Sarita said.

Kara sat down, defeated. “You don’t want to hear that someone saw a Su fighting with the Terra?”

“What?” Sarita turned, looking more surprised and interested than Kara had ever seen her.

“The lone survivor from the attack on the outer villages. He saw…” Kara decided to keep the secret about the prince’s tattoo to herself. “He saw a Su with webbed hands fighting with a mask over her eyes. That she was blind.”

Sarita dropped what she was holding, a comb and Kara’s layered necklace of jewels. She picked them up as if it’d never happened and began to brush Kara’s hair. Her face was mute.

“Don’t you think that’s strange?”

“Absolutely,” Sarita said. “And probably something this soldier made up to bring the Su into this war. Kara, that can’t be possible.”

“And why not?” Kara was curious, now more curious about the Su girl than the strange boy impersonating the prince.

“Do Alem women fight?”

“No,” Kara said. It must be same with the Su. The women weren’t allowed to fight.
Even though they probably have the power to
, Kara thought bitterly.

“Can anyone fight when blind?” Sarita asked.

Kara hadn’t heard of anyone who had that ability. She imagined it would be difficult. “I don’t think so,” she said.

Sarita looked satisfied. That was the end of that.

“But if it was true, would you know who it was?”

Sarita laughed then. “I hardly know all the Su in the citadel. Do you think I would know a stranger who may or may not exist?” She laughed again.

“May I go see my mother before I meet with the prince? I wasn’t able to see her yesterday either.”

“Oh, Princess, she’s still not well enough to see you.” Sarita put on Kara’s necklace and fastened her cloak.

Kara was supposed to take care of her mother. Why couldn’t she see her, even if she was ill? “I’ve seen her when she’s been sick before.”

“She’s just resting, Princess. Your visits tire her out,” Sarita said simply and opened the door.

Kara tried not to frown expressly, but on top of everything, it just bothered her. Her father had just made her the queen’s second, and here she was abandoning her for a stroll with the prince. In a blizzard!

Kara was struck with a thought. As her mother’s second, she couldn’t remain defenseless. She glanced at the knife on the dresser and moved closer to it, feigning that she was checking herself in the mirror. “Sarita, would you check if Azure is in the hall?”

Sarita smiled and slightly rolled her eyes. She peeked her head out of the curtains for just a moment, but it was a moment long enough. Kara grabbed the knife beside her and slipped it into the small tear in her dress, inside the sheath hidden in her petticoat. Sarita turned back, and Kara checked her dress again, making it look like she was primping.

Finally she turned and walked out to meet the prince.

CHAPTER TWENTY–TWO

“I’m in love with you, Kai,” Tadi was saying, again. Tadi and Ziff were loping beside Kai as they made their way west along another moonlit road. Kai ignored all of Tadi’s advancements, but she didn’t seem annoyed by them but rather amused. Hakon had agreed to let Kai accompany them, albeit reluctantly. He had been wrong about her. He now realized she was dangerous, and it was better to keep an eye on her. He didn’t understand how the Su applied the code, but he didn’t want to offend her by not repaying the kindness she had shown by helping Tadi and Skeet in the village attack. He was fairly certain that kindness had been calculated, so between him and Skeet, one always remained on watch while they slept.

“I did not know the Su women fought,” Hakon had observed, hoping Kai would reveal more about her motivation for helping them.

“We Su have many secrets,” Kai had said simply. It only made Hakon all the more curious.

Having Kai along proved to be useful. She knew the landscape remarkably well. When they had traversed over cliffs and treacherous waters, Kai seemed to know the easiest paths. When asked how she knew, she would reply that Maji was a smart horse, as if the Su girl had nothing to do with it.

Ziff still trailed behind them, occasionally running off to hunt and bringing back small game for them to eat, which helped cut down time on hunting. Occasionally, Skeet and Hakon found plants they recognized in the changing landscape, and they found themselves teaching Kai about survival in the Desolate Forest.

“How far do you think we are, Kai?” Skeet asked. He was the last to reluctantly call her by her nickname and not just the “Su girl.” At the moment, she seemed so powerless, riding on a horse while the others walked. She sat on Maji backwards, lying back, her head on the horse’s head, her blind eyes facing the heavens.

“Do you see mountains on the horizon?” Kai asked. “And are the trees tinted red and yellow?”

“Yes to the leaves,” Skeet replied, “but I see no mountains.”

“Then we are about a week’s distance. It is autumn here. When we come close to winter, we will be close.”

“Winter?” Tadi asked.

“While the Desolate Forest reaches summer, the city of Atmen and the surrounding mountains reach the end of winter. So as we go farther west, we step backward into the seasons.”

Tadi nodded with understanding. Hakon turned to the boy. “This is why it is good for us to strike now, when the Alem are weakest.”

“What is your mission when you get there, Prince of Atmen?” Kai asked, leaning against her horse. Hakon gazed up at her. How did she know who he was?

“Why do you think I’m a prince?” Hakon asked.

“Because I heard you talking back near the sacred waters. My horse is smart, but I’m smarter,” Kai said.

“You spied on us?” Hakon was worried by this revelation. Had Kai insisted on coming with them because she knew he was the prince?

Skeet looked concerned, and he mouthed to Hakon now, “A traitor?”

“I can hear your mouth move even though words aren’t coming out,” Kai said. “Women are said to make better spies for that very reason.” Kai rolled over, lying on her stomach now against the horse. “Also, you stupid, stupid boys. Your name is Hakon.”

“That could be a coincidence,” Tadi suggested.

“But it isn’t,” Kai said, laughing. “And why would the Terra name their sons after their sworn enemy?” Everyone was quiet, waiting for Kai’s next move. “Everyone thought you were dead. How interesting that you were raised by your birth enemy. You even call them ‘brother.’”

“They are my brothers,” Hakon snapped.

“Even Tadi, whose tribe may have killed your family?”

Tadi looked uncomfortable. Hakon spoke quickly. “Tadi has proved himself loyal.”

“So have I, Prince,” Kai said. “Remember that.”

“What do you want, Kai? Why do you accompany us?” Skeet asked, stopping Maji. The horse snorted loudly and stomped her foot. “It’s not for the scenery.”

“To help,” Kai said. She smiled and kicked her horse, so Maji sped forward, knocking Skeet aside. Despite his obvious reservations, Skeet smiled.

“Isn’t she great?” Tadi asked, moon–eyed.

Skeet shoved him aside. “You’re too young for her, Tadi.”

“I’m a match as a fighter, though.”

“That you are,” Skeet said. “Though I don’t understand how a blind girl fights at all. Do you see any weapons on her?”

Hakon shook his head. He was unnerved both by Skeet and Tadi’s sudden friendliness with each other and how much Kai had known about him. Still, she had protected them when it was easy to take their lives. There were many things that were mysterious about the Su girl, the least of all, her purpose for being with them.

But by the looks of it, he was the only one really worried.

CHAPTER TWENTY–THREE

Prince Sesto had a lot to say. Ever since their disastrous lunch on the terrace, he had opened up quite a bit. Their daily walks around the citadel were slowly changing Kara’s mind about the prince. She still thought it was horrible that she was engaged to him, but he wasn’t as stupid as she thought he was. He certainly thought ridiculous things about women, but Kara had gotten used to fighting down the urge to argue with him. All in all, she was learning to tolerate his presence, not completely loathe it.

At the moment, he was talking about everything wrong with Atmen and how the city could be improved. When Kara didn’t feel insulted, she was surprised to realize that some of his ideas were valid. The Su commuted each day to sell their wares and work in the city, while most of them lived in the northern section of Atmen. Prince Sesto was suggesting that either the industry moves to the Su areas or the Su move to the areas of industry.

He had a lot to say about the war with the Terra too. He criticized his father’s policies and his interpretation of the war tactics.

Kara was getting good at tuning him out.

They were walking along the quiet streets of the lower city with a small guard. Keepers of the Present patrolled the streets with soldiers, recording important things that transpired, like Princess Kara taking a stroll with her fiancé, Prince Sesto, down the streets of Atmen. They were in a safe area, where most of the wealthy lived, and not many cared that a prince or princess wandered down the streets.

While Kara was supposed to be giving the prince a tour of the city, he was dominating most of the conversation. So Kara looked around. Fire glow was burning in every window, and the streets were mostly empty because of the snowstorm. Kara’s zipper eyes allowed her to see a little clearer in the storm, and she saw the shadows of shopkeepers and children at play. Some children were brave enough to be outside playing in the snow. Kara envied them.