Marked by Honor - 3

Chapter 3

There was a reason why he had been chosen for this task, but Banthus found himself partly confused by it all. He had a reputation for being precise and efficient, and little known limitation to the methods and lengths he would go to complete the job. Yet there was one thing that he had never done before, and it made him question if this was finally a strike at his morality.

Prince Wrenlu had commissioned him to eliminate a powerful political piece that would threaten the Immiqi’s victory in this invasion. When Banthus had asked who it was, the answer had surprised him. It was a woman. And not just any woman, a princess. Princess Halua Ta’atnnai of Kata-Ilipah.

After digging around of her identity, Banthus learned she was a secret child, kept hidden because of Teth Ta’atnnai’s paranoia about someone coming to use her against him as a form of ransom. She had lived under the false pretense of being only a servant girl to deceive even Kata-Ilipah’s own people, though her lifestyle was anything but that of a servant’s.

From what he heard, Banthus discovered that the woman had lived most of her days indoors, pampered with jewels and silks. She had her own personal servant who helped her bathe in honey and milk every day, in order to achieve skin as smooth and flawless as the silks she wore. It was said she never walked outside, and did not know what it meant to feel the earth’s dirt between her toes, even as a child. Whenever she traveled, she was always carried by one of the guard, and shaded under a parasol, so that the sun would not burn her delicate features.

She was even a dainty eater, and had too precious a heart to eat the meat of an animal. Her hands were slender and frail, her touch soft enough to make any man shamed to wear a half day’s old growth on his face. Men were honored to bask in her presence, and humbled to receive a smile from her pretty lips. To even hold her hand or stand beside her was supposedly dream-like, as if she was creature descended from the heavens.

How in the world she managed to remain a secret all these years, Banthus didn’t know, but it seemed that even if Teth was not a very capable man, he at least knew how to protect his precious valuables. As well as use them.

Princess Halua, now brought out of hiding, was being used as a peace offering to gain the Fujsha’s aid. Banthus was charged with the task to intercept and assure no alliance would be made. The method preferred had not been specified, but Banthus knew Wrenlu wanted the princess to be killed. Of course, there were other, humane ways of completing his mission, but his profession didn’t allow him to even consider it.

He was a killer. An assassin born and bred by the Alnuuti Tribe for the sole purpose of being a weapon for his country. He had undergone years of training in the Alnuut desert that had warped his sense of justice, beaten down his sense of compassion, and smothered his weaknesses with a thick, suffocating blanket. Most of the scars he carried were from those times alone, nevermind the ones he accumulated afterward on jobs.

He used those killing skills to rid the Immiqi of their enemies, and ward off any threats from those who might wager the thought to become enemies. He had traveled to lands beyond the borders of Mreq, including A’Sselu. Lord Dreov had a particular thorn to pick with Sesaran Fujsha. It was by his orders that Banthus had stolen his way into the capital and poisoned the young Prince Shire. He didn’t even have to personally hand it to the boy, merely manipulate and convince one of the servants to deliver the concoction under the guise of it being harmless.

If Sesaran was not a shrewd man, he probably would not have made the educated leap to name the Immiqi as responsible. But with the servant none the wiser that the person she had taken the potion from was in fact not a doctor, nor did he have well wishes for the young prince, the poor girl could not give Sesaran the means to immediately wage war on the Immiqi.

It was only a matter of time before the Fujsha and Immiqi clashed, and perhaps this impending invasion on the Ta’atnnai was just the excuse to do it. Maybe the marriage contract was nothing more than a ruse, and the Fujsha would gladly accept any reason to fight them. Banthus didn’t know, but he planned on finding out. Whatever it took to complete his mission, he would do it.

-x-

It took three days for Halua’s engagement robes to be finished. Aided by maids who were skilled in the way of the needle, Hila and Prina were able to get all the embroidery done in remarkable time. On the last day, they took Halua aside and dressed him in the robes for a final fitting. They adjusted the measurements appropriately before taking it away to make the last alterations. 

After the robes were finally done and hung upon racks in his room, Prina tended to his appearance as she usually did. It had been decided, while all this preparation went on, that he would be leaving after tomorrow to travel across the land to meet his husband-to-be. They were to meet at a temple on neutral land. Teth himself would have volunteered to assure that the negotiations went smoothly, but there were more pressing issues for him to deal with. Mern took up the responsibility to escort Halua. 

Halua would also be accompanied by Prina to tend to any of his personal needs, and their entourage would be flanked by a handful of guards who were trusted to keep them all safe. Hila, though Halua desperately wanted her to come, would remain at home. 

Sighing, he looked out the window. Melancholy had settled over his heart, as well as a heavy dosing of apprehension. Prina, filing his nails, looked up at the sound of his voice and lightly touched his wrist. He turned to her, saw the concerned expression on her face, and shook his head. Even though Prina was mute, she conveyed her emotions well. Halua had gotten used to reading her face during the time they had spent together. 

“It’s nothing. I am just... nervous, I think. Really nervous. I don’t want to disappoint my father but I don’t have the confidence that this will work. If the heir of Fujsha is like any normal man, he will want to embrace me. And when he does, he will find out that I am not a woman. I can’t deny him the right to touch me since he will soon be my husband, but if I don’t...” Halua sighed heavily, shaking his head. “This won’t work, I know it won’t. Father is sending me to my death. It’s suicide to go, but... I want...”

Prina looked up at him and gently stroked his hand. When Halua looked at her, she smiled and continued to circle around his joints. He smiled back at her, appreciative of her silent comfort. He still felt miserable, but at least he knew someone was on his side. 

“Thank you,” he said and lightly touched her cheek. It was a gesture he had picked up from his mother, something he had never used before now. It seemed even if he didn’t think the plan would succeed, the training she had ingrained in him still stuck. 

Prina’s smile brightened and she returned to filing Halua’s nails. She gave him gentle massages and lathered his hands with ointments and oils to keep them soft. No more did he carry the calluses of his workouts, only the faintest of roughness still lingering from the times he used his hands to cook or arrange flowers or any other small manual task. 

When she was done, she left him to rest. Sleep came uneasily, as it tended to do these last few days. Halua dreamed of all the possible things that could go wrong. More than once he envisioned his death, and the death of the citizens of Kata-Ilipah. The weight of responsibility was so great, he woke in the middle of the night and heaved until he was gasping. Exhaustion was perhaps the only reason he could sleep again.

Come morning, Prina was pressed to keep him looking fresh. Her expression showed she knew what had happened last night, but thankfully she didn’t make note of it. Halua wasn’t in the mood to explain.

As the last day at home before his trip, Halua spent the hours with his mother. She did not teach him anything new, only kept him company during their final moments together. He was sent for around noon to dine with his father and brother. The same awkward atmosphere hung about them all the while until Halua was sent back. 

When he crossed the yard, Halua noticed how preparations were being made for tomorrow’s trip. His father had said they would leave in the morning in order to make full use of the day. If all went well and they minimized their stops, they would reach their destination by the next day. 

Seeing the servants mill about, making sure the horses and equipment were ready, made Halua feel nauseated again. He had known it was coming, but this just made it all the more real. He could no longer see himself as a man. He could no longer see himself as a person. This was all for the sake of his father, of winning his approval, of helping him gain a precious ally, and of helping him win against the Immiqi. He was nothing but an object, a pawn. He had to accept that. 

The rest of the day was spent getting clothes and other necessities packed for the trip. No one was really sure how long Halua would be away, so they prepared for everything. The busyness of packing helped keep Halua’s mind preoccupied till the end of the day, and for once, when he slept, it was with ease. He was simply too exhausted to fret. 

When he woke, the sun was just peeking over the edge of the horizon. Hila and Prina helped him to get ready. They fashioned up his hair with a barrette, applied makeup, and dressed him in formal travel wear. They saved the robes for when Halua arrived at the temple and packed that away in his luggage. 

Halua tried to stall leaving as much as possible, risking the ire of his father and whoever else by lingering by his mother’s side. She was careful not to coddle him, warm in her acceptance of his need for comfort and encouragement, but only justly so. This would be a task she could not intervene in, so as much as it pained Halua to be denied an easy escape, it was important he understood that he had to carry the burden that had been given him.

When Mern came to the door to announce they were ready to leave, Hila gave her son a parting kiss before handing him over to the advisor. 

Halua was quiet as he walked with Mern and Prina to the carriage that had been set out for them. They made their way to the gates where the guardsmen waited. The men, upon seeing them approach, turned to see who Halua was. Despite being charged with the task of protecting the occupants of the carriage, they had not once seen for themselves who exactly they were supposed to protect.

Feeling their gazes bore into him, Halua looked at them in quiet apprehension. He wondered if they knew who he really was, but by the looks of their faces he assumed they didn’t. It was a sign of hope -- if these men could not tell the truth about his identity, then maybe even the prince of A’Sselu would be none the wiser. 

Hopeful, yet still doubting, Halua looked away and entered the carriage. The driver guided him up the steps with a steady hand until he sat on the farside of the carriage. Prina joined him next, and Mern sat across from them. The door was closed after them and without fanfare or grandiose announcement, they set off. 

Halua pushed aside the curtain that covered the window and watched as the guards rode in stride with the carriage, some in front while the rest were in back. Right away he knew this would be a long and boring trip. 

The ride was silent, only the sound of hooves and wheels grinding against the path to be heard. The guards rarely spoke to each other, only muttering in low tones whenever necessary. Even the carriage driver was silent. After a while, Halua sighed softly and settled back against the cushion and looked across at Mern who sat across from him.

“Who is my husband to be?” he asked, finding he needed some sort of distraction to make this trip more pleasant. “I know that he is the heir of Fujsha, and a notorious military man, Father hasn’t been all that forthcoming with what he is like.” Halua wasn’t sure if Teth was purposely being vague or if the man didn’t know himself. 

Mern jostled slightly as the carriage passed over a small bump in the road. “It is said that he is the second son of Lord Sesaran. He excels in his studies and is commendable for his combat skills. A fine scholar and warrior.”

“What happened to the first son?”

“Child sickness.”

“Oh,” Halua said quietly. He had not suspected the other son to be dead, and the truth startled him. How sad. To think that the heir lost his brother at such a young age... “What is his name? My betrothed.”

“Prince Reshar.” When Halua inquired of the first son, Mern replied, “Prince Shire. The two were only a couple years apart, and believed to be very close at childhood.” 

Halua felt the pang of sadness in his chest. Though he knew nothing of being close to his brothers, he still felt sad at their deaths. Hateful though they were to him, they were still family, and the opportunity to get close to them or have them change their minds about him was erased forever with their death. Reshar, his betrothed, surely felt ten times that pain at the loss of his older brother since they were close. 

“Do you know what he is like, Mern?” he asked. “Prince Reshar, what is he like now?”

Mern shook his head. “I do not know. I have never met him myself.” He gave a reassuring smile. “You will find out soon enough... Princess.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being called that,” he muttered. 

Hearing his words, Prina lightly touched his arm. Halua looked at her and they shared a smile. Prina held up a finger and dug into the satchel she had brought with her and pulled out a deck of cards. She gave him a questioning gaze as she offered them to him. 

Halua nodded and took the deck. It wasn’t the first time they played a little game of cards together. It was one of the few pastimes Prina could participate in since it didn’t require words. Shuffling the deck, Halua gave them each a hand to hold. Together, they played a few games. They even had Mern join them.

Prina was a delightful, animated sort of person to be around. Though she made no sound, Halua always imagined he could hear her laughter and voice. Together they snickered at Mern who wasn’t quite so lucky during their play. It surprisingly took very little for the mood to lighten inside the carriage.

About midday, the guards made a small pit stop. They took a break by the riverside and let their horses rest. The head guardsman invited Halua, Prina and Mern to step outside and stretch their legs. Halua took the invitation and bathed in the sunlight. 

As he looked around, he found them to be nearing a forest. He turned to the head guardsman and inquired, “Where does that lead?”

“That is the Corquin Forest. It marks the edge of the land of Hannon. It is not easy to travel in the forest with such a large group and carriage, so we will have to tread carefully. We are resting now while we have the chance, we don’t want to risk stopping in the forest.” The man looked down at Halua. “If anything happens while we are there, please do not make a sound, Princess. Stay away from the door and do not come out. We will protect you.”

Though Halua knew nothing of this man, and was certain that he was only being this cordial because he was pretending to be his father’s daughter, he appreciated what was being said to him. They might just be orders, but it felt good to know someone cared if he lived or not.

“Thank you, Captain...?”

“Nettika,” the man supplied with a small bow.

“Thank you, Captain Nettika, and your men. For risking your lives for us.”

“It is my duty, Princess.”

Smiling faintly, Halua looked at the forest again. It did not seem ominous, but he hoped they didn’t run into trouble while they were passing through.

After walking around their little impromptu camp and catching eye of some of the guards that had been ordered to keep them safe, Halua returned to the carriage. They set off again, heading toward the forest. Halua wasn’t in the mood to continue their card games, and instead stared out the carriage window.

They crept into the forest, the guards changing their formation to suit the narrow path paved out for them. There wasn’t a lot of room to maneuver a carriage about, but the space between the trees seemed big enough for horses to move about relatively easily. Of course, Halua could have been wrong in his judgment since he had never ridden a horse before. 

And though it was bright out, it was much darker in the forest. Not as much light could be seen through the canopy of leaves, only specks of it cast between the gaps. 

Halua had a hard time seeing their surroundings. Even as he pressed close to the window, it was hard to tell what was going on. “Is this the way to the temple?” he asked, glancing back at Mern. 

The man looked out the window on the other side and nodded. “We are going the right way. The temple of Mnemith lies upon a hill in the middle of Hannon. We need only reach the Pillager’s station.”

“Pillager’s station?” Halua echoed.

Mern nodded. “Temple acolytes who have come far on foot to worship at the temple use it to rest and recuperate before ascending to the temple. Carriage and horse cannot be used beyond the station, so we will have to walk the very last of the trip. Sometimes the temple allows special visitors to be carried, but I do not know if they will allow you that privilege.”

Halua’s lips pursed slightly, suddenly indignant about being treated like an invalid. “I am fully capable of using my own two feet.”

“Excuse me for speaking out of turn but you are no longer your own person, Princess Halua.” Mern’s tone, though mild, did not take away the sharpness of his words. Halua, though he didn’t like admitting it, had to agree. He no longer had control over his own fate. He looked away. “As the precious daughter of Lord Teth Ta’atnnai of Kata-Ilipah, it is necessary for us to take special care of you, not just your safety but also your well-being. Including your feet.”

Halua gave a reluctant nod. “I know... I’m sorry, Mern.” He looked back out the window, holding aside the curtain as he peered up at the trees. 

He continued to look up at them until he suddenly realized the lack of noise. Not from the guardsmen, but from nature itself. Though the forest was dark, he should have still heard the faint twittering of birds overhead. Now, there was nothing. The forest was absolutely silent. Frowning, he looked around and tried to catch eye of one of the guards. 

One of them saw him gesture and moved his horse close to the window. Halua pushed aside the glass partition. “What is going on? It suddenly got so quiet.”

The guard shook his head. “I don’t know, Princess. But please, close the window and draw the curtain. We don’t know if there’s something ou--”

The man never finished his sentence when his body suddenly jerked. Halua startled and turned his head just to see an arrow sticking out of the back of his chest. Eyes widening, he watched as the guard toppled off his horse, his body colliding with the side of the carriage. 

One of the other guards turned around at the sound. “What was--” He too cut off as another arrow zipped past his head. “It’s an attack! Protect the carriage!”

Halua paled at the words. This was a joke, right? A lie. A ruse. A game. A test. Maybe his father was just testing the guards. Maybe he just wanted to test them a little, make sure they had the skills to protect him, Prina and Mern. Right? Yes? Surely it wasn’t a real attack?

An arrow flashed through the air, the tip embedding itself in the side of the carriage. The sight of the feathered end shattered whatever hopeful delusion he had feebly conjured. In its place was the nightmare that had ravaged him of sleep these past few days, each one promising his death.

“Get away from the window!”

Hands grasped his arms and pulled him from the window. Mern quickly closed the glass and drew the curtains on both sides of the carriage, leaving them in darkness. 

Halua listened to the sounds outside. He felt Prina next to him, pressed against his hip as she gripped his hand. She trembled with fright. Halua took her into his arms and held her close, sharing her fear for what was going outside. He didn’t know what was happening outside, he could only hear the sounds of a fight taking place. 

The horses whined and the men shouted. He could hear the clash of metal against metal and knew someone had pulled their sword. He flinched as he heard someone scream, his heart beating madly in his chest.

He couldn’t believe this was happening. He wasn’t ready to meet his end. He wasn’t ready to die! Not like this!

Prina clung to him tightly, shaking like a leaf. Halua closed his eyes tightly and tried to block out the sounds. Silently he prayed that whoever it was would go away. He hardly uttered a few words before the door to the carriage suddenly flew open. Eyes snapping open, Halua whirled to stare wide-eyed at the shadowed figure in the doorway. 

It was too late.

updated 4/6/2012