Sequel: The Game ›
Status: complete, but revisions are being made
The Pauper Princess
Chapter Thirty-Four
We stood at the door for a full minute before we opened it. Finally, I reached for the latch and slowly pulled in open. A cool breeze blew in from the hall, mixing with the breeze from the balcony and whipping the curtains all around. Mehta and I quickly stepped over the threshold and shut the door behind us. I heard the latch click back into place. I tried to open the door again, but found it was locked.
“Well,” I sighed, “I guess we have no choice now.” Mehta just rolled her eyes and started walking.
The hall was made entirely of squared stones with large banners evenly spaced along the walls. We passed three more doors to our right, but we didn’t even try to open them. We approached the end of the hall and turned left.
As soon as we turned, we were facing two men that were making their way leisurely down the hall. We gasped when we say, immediately drawing their attention. Every one stopped walking. The two men were obviously soldiers; they carried swords and wore armor with the same crest that each banner bore.
“Well, what have we here,” one said with a smirk. Mehta and I exchanged a glance before looking back at the two men, but neither of us spoke.
“You two look lost.” He started walking again, quickly closing the space between them and us. “You don’t look like Lequinians,” the man stated when he drew nearer. “You wouldn’t happen to be from Kyshia, would you?” The man smirked again at our shocked, and probably frightened, looks. He took another step toward us, and we backed up, keeping an arm’s length away from us.
“Stop, Chelan.” The second man commanded. He reached for the first man’s shoulder and stopped his advance. Chelan shook off the other man’s hand and spun to face him.
“Why should I? One of them is obviously the Kyshian princess.” The way he spat the word Kyshian in utter contempt made anger flare up in the pit of my stomach.
“You forget your loyalties, Chelan.”
“No,” Chelan replied, shoving the other man back a step, “I know exactly where my loyalties are. I’m loyal to Lequin, and I won’t see my country ruled by this Kyshian trash.” Before I even thought about my actions, my blades were out and crossed in front of Chelan’s neck. He backed away from me reaching for the hilt of his sword, only to find himself against a wall. Blood trickled down one of my blades from a nick on the side of his neck.
“Don’t you ever speak of m-my friend like that.” I caught myself before saying ‘me’, but with the anger that caused even my muscles to quiver, I figured it wouldn’t be noticed. The man looked at me with pure contempt.
“Who are you to order me?” he inquired smugly. “Your little friend isn’t ruling yet, so I would watch my tongue if I were you.” Before I had time to react, the other man took grabbed my arms from behind and pulled me backward. I tried to free myself, but his grip was firm.
“That’s enough,” he said with authority. Chelan sent one more glare at Mehta, and then me, before stalking off in the direction he’d come from. I noticed with satisfaction that he wiped at his neck, and then held his hand there to stop the bleeding from the cut I’d given him.
“You should control your temper,” the man said when Chelan had turned down another hall. He let go of my arms and I sheathed my blades.
“You should control your soldiers,” Mehta replied curtly.
“Fair enough,” the man said with a nod. “Please forgive my comrade’s actions, and his words,” he added.
“His actions I forgive, but his words I cannot,” she said quietly. The man sighed and slowly shook his head.
“Were you two in need of directions?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Actually, we need to get to the council room,” Mehta informed him. He nodded and motioned for us to follow him in the direction we had come from. We followed a few paces behind him in silence.
“Well,” I sighed, “I guess we have no choice now.” Mehta just rolled her eyes and started walking.
The hall was made entirely of squared stones with large banners evenly spaced along the walls. We passed three more doors to our right, but we didn’t even try to open them. We approached the end of the hall and turned left.
As soon as we turned, we were facing two men that were making their way leisurely down the hall. We gasped when we say, immediately drawing their attention. Every one stopped walking. The two men were obviously soldiers; they carried swords and wore armor with the same crest that each banner bore.
“Well, what have we here,” one said with a smirk. Mehta and I exchanged a glance before looking back at the two men, but neither of us spoke.
“You two look lost.” He started walking again, quickly closing the space between them and us. “You don’t look like Lequinians,” the man stated when he drew nearer. “You wouldn’t happen to be from Kyshia, would you?” The man smirked again at our shocked, and probably frightened, looks. He took another step toward us, and we backed up, keeping an arm’s length away from us.
“Stop, Chelan.” The second man commanded. He reached for the first man’s shoulder and stopped his advance. Chelan shook off the other man’s hand and spun to face him.
“Why should I? One of them is obviously the Kyshian princess.” The way he spat the word Kyshian in utter contempt made anger flare up in the pit of my stomach.
“You forget your loyalties, Chelan.”
“No,” Chelan replied, shoving the other man back a step, “I know exactly where my loyalties are. I’m loyal to Lequin, and I won’t see my country ruled by this Kyshian trash.” Before I even thought about my actions, my blades were out and crossed in front of Chelan’s neck. He backed away from me reaching for the hilt of his sword, only to find himself against a wall. Blood trickled down one of my blades from a nick on the side of his neck.
“Don’t you ever speak of m-my friend like that.” I caught myself before saying ‘me’, but with the anger that caused even my muscles to quiver, I figured it wouldn’t be noticed. The man looked at me with pure contempt.
“Who are you to order me?” he inquired smugly. “Your little friend isn’t ruling yet, so I would watch my tongue if I were you.” Before I had time to react, the other man took grabbed my arms from behind and pulled me backward. I tried to free myself, but his grip was firm.
“That’s enough,” he said with authority. Chelan sent one more glare at Mehta, and then me, before stalking off in the direction he’d come from. I noticed with satisfaction that he wiped at his neck, and then held his hand there to stop the bleeding from the cut I’d given him.
“You should control your temper,” the man said when Chelan had turned down another hall. He let go of my arms and I sheathed my blades.
“You should control your soldiers,” Mehta replied curtly.
“Fair enough,” the man said with a nod. “Please forgive my comrade’s actions, and his words,” he added.
“His actions I forgive, but his words I cannot,” she said quietly. The man sighed and slowly shook his head.
“Were you two in need of directions?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Actually, we need to get to the council room,” Mehta informed him. He nodded and motioned for us to follow him in the direction we had come from. We followed a few paces behind him in silence.