22
"If you do not want to be responsible for dropping him off the mortal plane leave him be," Tarquin's voice sharply cut through the trance as the Princess gaped at the bound man.
Jza dropped her weapon abruptly, startled by her own viciousness. She gave a brief look at the broken man lying on the floor but her attention was immediately diverted by her enemy whose amber eyes were still hidden behind his hair.
Tarquin had his hands in front of him before she could speak. He flexed his bloody fingers trying to warm them after their period of unuse.
"How did you..." She whispered, searching his counatanance for a sign; anything to assuage her he did not know the truth.
"Does it truly matter?" The man took a long rattling breath that seemed ominous. His eyes finally caught hers and they revealed nothing of import.
"Of course it does. And if you've known for so long then why conceal it. You are not one to hide your victories, are you?"
"What an apt description of my beastly self," Tarquin gave her a lazy smile as fresh blood slid down the side of his pale face. He quickly undid the ties around his feet but remained seated, unperturbed by the other man moaning on the ground. Jza glanced down at her murderous hands and took her own shuddering breath.
"Finding errant parchments with your name in your room is hardly a victory," His face was hiden behind the shadows made by the harsh light cast upon them by the torches, "It's a jumble of letters, Miss Ashbrook. How am I supposed to pronounce it. It would not do to say it out wrong."
"And yet here you are mispronouncing it completely," Jza sneered at him but knew time was not on their side. She glanced at the door with frayed impatience, "There will be guards outside."
"I will take care of them," Tarquin's voice was far too confident for a man sodden in his own blood.
"Dont be aggravating," Jza clenched her fists in a frustrated motion, "You are in no position to be battling anyone much less your own turncoats."
"Do you still find by my prowess in battle lacking?" Tarquin asked with a hint of amusement as she bent down in front of him to inspect the damage her loose hair dangling around her face.
"Not really. What I'm surprised by is how they managed to capture you?" Jza's focus was on his injured torso.
"For the first time in my life I had thoughts on my mind that had nothing to do with this forsaken nation," The injured man answered. The Princess could feel his eyes following her hands as they grazed over the multiple holes in his uniform.
"You were stabbed with much enthusiasm. Your wounds will fester if you do not attend to them," She glanced up to find his eyes closed as her fingers brushed over a gaping hole on his collarbone.
"There's a servant tunnel on your left," She informed him while leaning closer. Her hair brushed his face as she examined the wound on his shoulder. This one seemed less shallow and was deliberately done to ensure maximum damage to his movements.
"And there's another one under the desk," He answered back without pause. Jza's lips curved at the man's predictability. It was impossible for him to keep his nose out of anything. She never detected her hair strands transfering tiny, slivers of his blood on her profile.
"Someone's at the door," The Princess hissed, her fingers inadvertently curling around Tarquin's injured shoulders. The sounds from outside were muffled leaving her unable to discern what was going on. He placed his right hand over hers and she scarcely noticed for the sound of her thrumming heart over took all her senses. Her eyes were fixed on the door opposite her instead.
"You needn't worry. The faces beyond that door are friends not foe," Tarquin finally eased himself up with his hand still encircling hers firmly.
"How can I? Not when your friends are my foe," Jza stood upright along with him facing the door.
A heartbeat later Sofiya sauntered in casually as if on her morning walk. The only difference to her usual self was the blood splatter lightly staining her pretty blue dress. Behind her a few unnamed girls loitered outside in the hallway.
"Too late, Sofiya. I have already been rescued..." Tarquin grinned at her loss of composure seeing Jza.
"What in the world..." The new arrival scrutinized the bloody man on the floor who smelt of burnt leather with a wrinkled nose. The prone man was still breathing but it would be a long while till he was back on his feet. Perhaps never.
"That's not fair, Tar, you never let us have fun," She whined and even her petulance was alluring Jza had to concede. The other woman had obviously perfected the art of looking attractive.
"Not my doing," The man easily rolled his injured shoulders and only that movement allowed Jza to notice where her hand was. She tugged lightly but the fingers capturing hers only squeezed tighter. That was the only indication the Lord remembered her presence since his eyes did not turn to her even for a moment.
"I am not having fun in this," Jza announced but her words were like a breeze in a thunderstorm; unnoticed and insignificant.
"You were stabbed obviously. Did he dip the blades in anything in particular? I have all the antidotes with me," Sofiya came in closer and pawed at her master's injured form.
"No, he wanted to stretch my life enough to gain all my knowledge. What a fool he was. Am I related to him? I hope not," Tarquin sneered at his former captive while his Harem leader started tearing apart his shirt. Pins and buttons fell to the floor without protest.
"Gently!" Jza hissed in annoyance having seen the severity of his injuries but she was ignored once again as the man's upper half was swiftly disrobed.
"I thought you would be worse for wear. He never touched your heart. What an amateur. I cannot believe you promoted him over Leonid. This man was so lacking," The fair haired woman tsked with mild annoyance as if the traitor was a knat floating in her drink.
"He did aim for my heart but..." The Lord paused as he inspected his bare and bloody chest. Right in the middle of his torso was Jza's pendant. His eyes locked with his captive's and they needed no words to comprehend the magnitude of what had occurred. That pendant had protected his heart.
Jza wrenched her hand away and fumbled with the chain and managed to free it from around his neck. The man was surprisingly compliant, bending his head to give her access.
"What a thief!" Sofiya's disdain was dripping from her words.
"This is mine! He stole from me," Jza snarled at the wretched woman. Her hands trembled in relief. She had never thought this day would come when her sisters would be back in her grasp.
"Its not theft if you are just stolen goods yourself," She was told with an arched brow but Jza barely heard the words.
The Princess deigned to give her no reply and instead regarded the floor her attention unseeingly, unable to digest the information. Was this truly how fate worked? What did her future hold that she must be saved at all costs by lady luck? First her enemy lost his mind and saved her from death and now this.
"How is she?" Tarquin took no heed of the animosity dangling between the women as he turned to Sofiya.
"You needn't worry. I told you I would find a way. I told you I found an old man; that strange peddler. He had this key..." The fair headed woman explained, hands on his bare chest imploringly.
"I told you I do not trust those peddlers," The amber eyed man showed the first sign of true emotions the entire time they were in this room. His speech was harsh and barely controlled.
"Trust me as I have trusted you. She is safe," The blonde switched to their language of her own violation. After a few clipped replies they stated into each others eyes as if daring the other to protest. Tarquin's shoulders drooped before he nodded, signalling that his companion had won their argument.
"What do we do next?" Jza asked, feeling impatient. She arched her neck in hopes of finding another weapon. Unlike Tarquin she did not trust the harem girls at all.
"We? You are not part of this matter, interloper. We shall go our own way and you go your own," Sofiya rudely cut any expectations she might have had down, "You have been a burden for far too long."
"Alright, then we must part," The Princess replied, calmly. Freedom was just around the corner but she was too cautious to celebrate just yet.
"Alone? I refuse to let you go!" Tarquin's hand found hers with the swiftness of a snake bite.
"Am I still your prisioner? Even now?" Jza asked with a measured tone. She looked down at their joined hands with growing dread.
"No, dusha moya, you're my savior," Her captor replied indulgently with a brief smile on his face and gently let her hand go.
"Please, you would have taken down the man even if I had not been brought in." Jza continued obliviously while she was gaped at by the other women.
"Come now, Tarquin, we await your orders. That tunnel leads you to the heart of the castle. We mapped it out per your command. These stupid men have made it very easy," Sofiya pulled him back into their conversation. She trailed a finger down his face, coquettishly.
"I do not wish to retake the castle," He answered decisively. The slant his mouth took was a bitter twist.
"Have you lost your senses? Is this a call for retreat? I will not be part of the losing party," His beautiful companion was incensed and disgusted by his words.
"No, it is an order for a slaughter. Not one of the traitors should get out alive. I wash my hands of the Somerlians. I no longer want to sit on my throne," The brown haired man replied with a grimace.
"All these years and all that suffering. Was it all for naught?"
"I have vowed for a long time to vanquish the Goridons but what of the Somerlians? They produce tryrant after tyrant and after all this they benefit from my blood and sweat. Nay! Have you not see the gold they adorned on their bodies last night? I felt such fury at their excesses at the ball. These worthless scum will not profit from my success any longer. Let the dark era of Somerlians begin. This is my vengeance," Tarquin's face was thunderous and even Sofiya took a step back, overpowered by the fury radiating on his face.
The silence in the room was broken by the war lord, "You are free, my ladies. As my last duty to the throne I free you. No longer will you be a slave to me or anyone."
With a sob the former harem girl's trembling form was at his feet. Her cries echoed in the vast room. A few women standing guard outside peered in with alarm.
"And what do you propose to do with yourself?" Tarquin asked after a moment's silence turning his head towards Jza.
"I do not know. The servant's tunnels go to the garden. Perhaps I'll find my own people. I am unsure," The girl replied with her eyes fixed on the weeping woman. It was uncertain whether the tears were of joy or sorrow.
"Your people? The ones that I ruthlessly anhilated? Pray tell where will you find that particular breed."
"Yes, my people," Jza's thought process solidified and she instantly knew where she was going, "My men are locked up in our vicinity that await freedom as much I do. I am glad you decided to keep them alive for blood sports."
