Avandor's Gift

“Well?” said Tarrus as he laced his fingers together.

“Well what?” I asked without looking away from the target. I loosed a single arrow, hitting it dead in the centre.

“Are you going to staunch this feud before it happens?” he asked.

“By marrying Garima, well,” I said and launched another arrow, this one was slightly off centre much to my annoyance.

“Well what?” he said repeating my retort.

I lowered the bow and turned to face him. “Well, I thought I had answered that question already. There is no way on this green earth that I will ever consider offering myself as a husband to that woman.” I said drinking from the wine cup. “It is one thing to try and save the country, but who will save me? As her husband I will actually have to kiss—no—sleep with her.”

“You’ve had worse. I seem to recall a common whore under you employ.” He said lifting his eyebrows.

“True, but she didn’t look like she was beaten with a broomstick and her face realigned haphazardly.”

“Here, read this he said pushing a large tome on the bench.”

“What is this?” I said fingering the engraved title on the tome.

“Beauty often lies behind hidden places and ugly faces. Something you already knew, something you suspect and something you need to remember. You have only one day left to give her an answer Gareth.”

“And are we any closer to finding where she hides?”

“Yes, we have a location, but...”

“No buts.” I said cutting him off. “Get Sonis and the others ready as we are going to flush the little Láetian princess out of hiding and into custody.” He was about to speak and I cut him off once more. “Just do it.”

“And you read that book.”

“Midnight attacks are a bit cliché. I want everything to be ready by one.”

“Highness,” he bowed and left.

I settled around the bench. I stared at the book in front of me for a while, reluctantly I pulled it closer to me. I flipped it open to a random page. “Princess protocol.” I said reading the heading out loud. I snorted, but I continued reading regardless.

...

“They’re here?” I asked.

“Tarrus confirmed it, but we can’t tell how much of them there are. Caves are carved into the cliffs and they extend about quarter of a mile inland.” said Sonis.

“You know the cave?”

“Very well, they were a common smuggler route in the early days. The exit lies just outside the city wall.”

“Is it still open now? King Lacore had found out about the route several years ago and sealed it off. It was rumoured that Asher had reopened it and used it as a route to transport slaves out of the country.”

“Slaves?”

“Mostly women and children. While the men were at war, he sold their families. Rá Leat has a small number of females. Males were prized as warriors but female babies were seen as a burden and were often killed.

“So much so that when the warriors grew up, they couldn’t find wives. Asher saw that trade opportunity and took full advantage, selling our women to the highest bidder.”

“How do you know so much about it?” I asked him.

His features hardened, “My wife and daughter were taken. It was too late when I found them. Women are of little value in Rá Leat, they were chattel. They served their purpose and then discarded.”

“I am sorry to hear that,” I said.

“I was a soldier in Asher’s army and after what he did I left. I then dedicated my life to putting an end to Asher’s reign.”

I was silent for a moment as I thought about what he said.

“Everyone stay here for awhile.” I said as I climbed off the back of the bloodwolf Silver-paw.

“Your Majesty?” he said confused.

“Change of tactics. I am going down there alone. If I don’t return by dawn Silver-paw will lead you in.” I slung my bow at my shoulders and hung the quiver at my hips. I also secured my sword in the scabbard.

“Face aside, if I didn’t believe that you and Evander were related, you just confirmed it.” He said.

“How so?”

“You two seem to share the morbid inclination to walk unaided into ambushes.”

“I will take that as a compliment. That was a very well sprung ambush if I should say so myself.” I smiled slightly. “And this one should be even better if all goes to plan.” I said as I walked off.

“You have an hour Your Highness. An hour and I am coming in.”

“Take the back door if you please. I will see you in an hour.” I hope. As what I was about to do was complete madness.

The tide was high at the mouth of the cavern and I had water up to my knees. I hoped it got drier further in. I peered into the darkness, clutching the hilt of my sword.

I could smell oil and smoke from recently put out torches mixed in with the salty breeze coming from outside.

“I know that you are watching me, but I mean no harm. I have come to speak with Princess Garima.”

“And who would you be?” said a heavily accented voice coming from out of the shadows.

“Your princess asked a question of me and I have come with an answer.”

“To bring answers, you need not weapons.”

“If you insist.” I said pulling off my bow, sword and quiver of arrows. I rested them on a shelf where water wouldn’t reach them. Two lit torches appeared in front of me and I felt the sharp point of a dirk boring into my back. “I see that I am expected.”

“Move forward.” said the heavily accented voice and I was shoved forward.

“Interesting.” I murmured as I noted that the two torch bearers were clothed in full white and their faces covered by veils.

I was led into an open chamber with more lit torches around the room. The set up though basic was obviously feminine, with arrangement of cushions and heavy drapes hanging around.

“You enter my presence alone Your Highness.” said the veiled woman sitting at the front. “Brave man.”

“Whether it is bravery or stupidity, that is yet to be determined.” I said examining the cavern before facing her. “An all female army, well apart from the eunuch accompanying you the last time we spoke. You are full of surprises Garima.”

“Thank you,” she said simply, “I take it you have decided to free my country after all? That is the only reason I think you would venture in here alone, unarmed and expecting to live.”

“Not quite.” I said. “Do you mind telling your guards to unhand me. This isn’t the way to treat your future husband.”

Everyone seemed to be stunned into silence. I took the opportunity to stride forward.

“I believe you have misunderstood our last conversation.” She said nervously.

“I think that this is our first and only conversation Princess Garima, but your message was indeed received.” I said coming to sit in front of her. “You offered me an ultimatum and I am answering with a proposal. As my queen, you will be in a position to govern your own people and have a say in the governance of Gé Addar and Sebán. That is much more than you had asked for.”

“But is it really your offer to make? You may say that you are who you are, but not what you appear to be.”

“True, but when my brother left he knew that there would be consequences. This is one such.”

“And if I refuse?” more weapons were suddenly pointed at me again.

“You won’t. Why start another uprising where countless amounts of lives would be lost. More women would become widows and children fatherless.

“Your society would be forced to acknowledge that you are the supreme leader with rights and privileges that no other queen of Rá Leat could claim to have held. Refuse me and a grand opportunity will be lost.”

“I could kill you.”

“And you wouldn’t get very far.” said Sonis. He and some of my men strode in holding some of the white clad guards in tow.

“You tricked me.” She sounded angry.

“I came in alone, I didn’t say that I wasn’t being followed. You tricked yourself Your Highness.” I said placidly. “Since the ball now lies in my court, do you accept my offer?”

“It seems I have no choice but to accept.” I could feel her shooting daggers at me even under the veil.

“I will take that as a yes, but with me you always have a choice.” I smiled. “It is quite disconcerting to have never seen the face of my bride.” I said holding the edge of the veil between my fingers. I had expected her to protest, but when she didn’t I lifted the gauzy material over her face. “As I thought, as beautiful as your mother.” I said looking at the doe-eyed female, with skin like caramel set in a delicately framed face. Her lips were pressed tightly together and her brown eyes flashed with defiance. “A face like this shouldn’t remain hidden, but out of respect you may continue to wear the veil if it suits you.” I said covering her face again.

I stood and offered her my hand. Reluctantly she took it and I pulled her up. “Shall we?” I said allowing her ahead of me.

“You sure took your time getting here,” I said to Sonis as he came to stand beside me.

“And I could have taken longer.” He retorted. ”Marriage though?”

“You were watching me quite awhile then.”

“It was the only way I could see what you were up to. With the added bonus that I got to watch you sweat a bit as you contemplated your extraction.” He chuckled.

I laughed. “Yes marriage.”

“Are you sure?” he turned to me examining my face as he seemed to be reassessing his opinion of me yet again.

“No but what is done is done.”

“How did you come to decide this?”

“You changed my mind. The women in Rá Leat have suffered enough, it is time at least one of them got a happy ending.”

“And you think you are that, a happy ending?”

“The very best there is.” I chuckled.

“And your happy ending?” he said now serious.

“She died two years ago, but life goes on.”