Chapter 5: The Princess

Anaya

"You must be brave," Anaya’s father had said when she had torn her hands open from working. "You must be strong."

His words came flooding back to her at all times of the day. Anaya often thought of her childhood, of her father. She tried not to think of her village but couldn't help the thoughts from creeping into her brain.

"Protect our people." He would say with a smile as he gave food to those in need.

If not for the blazing inferno that announced the defeat of the village, Anaya wondered if anyone would have noticed the destruction of her town. She imagined that in a few years, the village would still be standing but covered by the plants they had cultivated around the homes, vines now encasing the walls and chimneys. Now it just lay in ashes miles away; all the hard work her family had done and the careful planning and maintenance of the field were now wasted away.

"You know our family is the descendant of a great Duke." Her mother had told her one night after Anaya had insisted she needed another bedtime story when she was younger.

"Your great-grandfather was an honorable counselor to the royal family of Dermnith, as was his father before him."Her face grew grim."Your grandfather left all that behind."

Her mother would say no more, but Anaya begged and found the truth. Her grandfather moved his family by choice into a quiet village to the west, giving all his money to those around him. She had not known of wealth as she and her father had tended the fields she grew up on diligently. She was a counselor of the land, but now she was a counselor of nothing but her own fate.

"Father, give me strength." She would pray every morning to what was left of his memory.

The sun was beginning to rise when the door opened to the prison. Anaya stirred from her dozing just enough to see that they were not coming to let them out but instead they threw someone in. This was a lone woman covered in mud and adorned with a torn dress. She had a scarf of some kind over her head that covered everything but her eyes, and a veil that shrouded her mouth. The door slammed loudly, and the other villagers began to stir.

"Just one?" A voice called, sleepy from the back.

Anaya's mother approached the frozen woman and extended a hand."Where do you come from, child?"

The women stood tall, not daring to shrink beneath the villagers' curious gazes.“I am Nasacha princess of Derminith.”

In a fit of rage, she tore the scarf from the top of her head. Her black hair was braided into an intricate knot at the base of her head. From the shadows in the back of the small room, Anaya thought she was looking into a mirror. They had a similarly dark complexion, but this woman's eyes were darker than her own. Nasacha looked at them as if she expected something, but no one moved; they just stood and stared.

"I demand to speak to the leader," the princess continued.

"We are like you, my dear." Anaya’s mother said gently "We are prisoners of this war."

The door creaked open, and Nasacha fell in among the villagers.

"Alright, let's get to work. Move it, move it." Verse was smiling, his rotten teeth showing through his lips. He too was caked in mud and blood.

The princess stayed rooted, and the villagers pushed past her, wary of how much food they would receive if they hesitated. Anaya hung back and watched her carefully. How she moved her body to hide but still stood tall; the twitching of her eyes and the frown that could be seen even through the veil.

"I am princess Nasacha of Derminith, and I demand to speak to whoever is in charge."

"We know who you are, god worshiper," Vers said. He held out his arm as Anaya was trying to pass through.

"You stay. Check this woman for any weapons and then bind her hands."

Anaya nodded, and a length of rope was shoved into her arms. The door slammed, and Anaya heard the guard laughing. She turned to the woman.

"I am a princess and should be treated as such." Nasacha glared at Anaya.

She returned the glare."You are not the princess of where I am from."

Anaya approached the princess who took a step back. Anaya looked at the door and listened for a moment before she softened.

"Princess, you must give me any weapons you have. I don't want to have to search you, but if they find anything on you, we could both be killed."

Nasacha hesitated, but then produced from a secret seam inside her dress a very ornate knife. She handed it sheepishly over to Anaya who gazed at its beauty.

"It is from my fiance, prince Khanthar."

"That name I do recognize," Anaya muttered. "I'm sure he and your family are already searching for you."

Nashacha was still. "My brother is dead."

Anaya felt the air leave her body. She pulled the carefully folded paper from her sleeve. "Is this your brother?"

Nasacha took the paper and scowled at it."Yes, this is him. Prince Azrel. How did you get this?"

Anaya took the paper back and walked over to the wall. There was a piece of loose brick that she wiggled free; behind it, there was just enough room to put the dagger unseen. She put the brick back in place.

"The dagger will be safe here." Anaya deflected the question and pressed her head to the wall.

"How did you get that paper?" Nasacha raised her voice. Anaya turned and shushed her, placing a hand on the princess's mouth.

She felt the weight of the paper in her hands, gazing into the sketch's eyes. "The rebels had it in the woods.They set up an ambush for you."

"Did you help them with this?"

Anaya finally met the princess's gaze. She felt shame work through her body like cold steel. "Yes." She could not lie to the eyes that matched the prince’s.

"Then you have killed him." Nasacha held her arms out to be tied. Anaya worked silently, making a loose bind that appeared to be tight. She was thankful for once of her poor upbringing and hard labor.

In her heart, Anaya could not believe that the prince was dead; she felt like she would know. He might be in danger, yes, but not yet dead. She did not share this with the princess. Anaya studied the woman as she worked. How delicately her hands moved and her feet slightly pointed outwardly. The tilt of her head when Anaya spoke favoring her right ear over her left.

"They will still come for you," Anaya said. "We must help each other escape."

The princess wrenched her hands away. "I will not take help from you."

The door opened, and Anaya jumped away from the princess.

"Tied up nice and tight?" Vers stuck only his head through the door.

Anaya nodded her head and slipped out the door.

"The gods will have their revenge on all of you for what you have done." Nasacha threw her voice violently out the door.

It took all of Anaya's strength not to look back.

"All of you will pay!" Nascacha’s voice echoed up the stairwell and into Anaya's heart.