Chapter 3 - Unexpected Strangers

The crowd has finally begun to exit the amphitheatre when the sun drifted onwards towards the west, colouring the harsh landscape beyond the city into a golden orange glow. The royal family stayed behind, guarding the remains from the pyre until everyone, even the women of the harem, has left. Other sages began working on gathering the remains and ash to complete the burial as Cassian watched sadly of how much his father now resembled the desert sands more than a human being.

"I say the palace, as well as the city, has reason to celebrate!" Sophia chimed in as she embraced Gaius. She cradled his face lovingly. "To think my little boy has been crowned king! Send word to the servants – we have to prepare a banquet to honour our new king!"

Cassian, irritated by the fact that King Darius' remains has yet to be stored within the catacombs while Sophia wanted to throw a celebration instead of mourning her passing husband, snapped. "Do you think it necessary to host a grand party at the palace whose residents ought to be in mourning, Your Royal Highness? His Majesty has yet to be laid to rest and you think it best to spend your time frolicking about hosting parties?"

The dowager queen sneered at him before speaking to her son. "Does the king deem this kind of hostility towards his coronation disrespectful towards his late father?"

Gaius, at a loss of words, struggled to form a sentence together, to the ire of his siblings.

"I'm sure Sir Cassian has a point, Mother…" Yasemin tried reasoning, but was snubbed by the queen.

"Is it perhaps spite or jealousy speaking these words, Sir Cassian?" She chuckled. "Have you honestly thought yourself worthy of bearing the responsibilities of being a sovereign?"

"And have you, Queen Sophia, authority over an empire's protocol?" The Great Sage, too, was against her ridiculous idea. "You should be a woman in mourning, or have you forgotten that a widow ought to mourn her husband's passing until the next phase of the full moon? You dare disgrace the dynasty with your uneducated reasonings, despite my nephew and niece's objections? I will not have you bring shame on my brother's great name!" He glanced over at Gaius who looked unsure of how to approach this situation. "Fear not, King Gaius. I have sent my son as aide whenever you desire counselling on matters of the empire's protocol."

"Laith?" Sophia laughed. "You, the Great Sage Haris, entrust Laith to council my son?"

"Sage Laith has proven himself worthy of heeding to the empire's rules, as is he a great scholar on politics. He shall serve the empire well as His Majesty's aide and advisor." The old man arched challenging eyebrows at her. "Or do you perhaps have a greater advisor in mind, Your Royal Highness, someone other than yourself?"

The dowager queen did not know how to respond.

She hated the man who was her brother-in-law! Why couldn't Darius have been alike the rulers who came before him to challenge his brother a duel to the death for the empire's throne? Then the fatted great sage would have been someone she respected! Why would Darius even choose to spare the life of a smellfungus such as him? If he had never banned to custom of fratricide his ancestors used to secure the throne, her son wouldn't have been in a situation where the presence of a bastard son could threaten his reign!

Now, the old coot wanted his son as Gaius' councillor. Over her dead body!

"Do not sneer like that, my dear, I am afraid it will neither improve nor cure your wrinkles." Yasemin nearly choked of laughter from her uncle's retort but remained composed, afraid that she might hear it from her mother later. "Until the next full moon a coronation festival is to be held in honour of King Gaius; you will have until then to organise the event. But to hold a celebratory banquet to honour the next member of the dynasty's sovereignty within the same month of mourning is out of the question! You ought to be an example to the citizens of Ubbin Falls and all of Emberland, Your Royal Highness, not aid them in deviating from protocol."

Queen Sophia sighed exasperatedly. Oh, to be treated like a child by the Great Sage; what an honour it is, indeed! She motioned to her daughter and their attendants. "Let us make our way towards the palace. The hour grows late."

Yasemin, not in the mood for her mother's antics, followed suit, albeit against her will but for the sake of peace. Guards helped her and her mother to mount their steeds and she blushed scarlet when she realised it was her father's former personal guard, Sir Dante, who had his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Thank you, Sir," she said once she settled into the saddle. "But I could have easily mounted her myself."

"It was no trouble, Your Highness." Her blush deepened when he rewarded her with a dazzling smile, yet he seemed oblivious of her reaction.

"Sir Dante, I expect you to safely escort His Majesty back to court," the dowager queen barked from her horse. "And do notify me of his arrival, as I wish to speak to my son in private once he's home."

"Of course, Madam."

She nodded sternly and instructed her attendants to follow. "Come, Yasemin!" she instructed her daughter who did so half-heartedly.

"Well, that is interesting," the Great Sage commented as he observed the interaction between the princess and the guard. Cassian, his thought too occupied with recent occurrences, paid his uncle no mind as he watched the other sages salvaging what was left of his father's body. Here and there remnants of bone remained unscathed, as well as the golden trinket of the empire's emblem.

Gaius, who was quietly observing the same as Cassian, released a breath.

"I can't believe he is really gone," the younger man murmured as he glanced over to his older brother. "It feels so surreal. We'll never hear of his victories or see him dancing along with the people of the capital during festivals." Cassian remained silent despite his brother's nostalgic statements. "Listen, Cassian. About this morning…"

"Don't bother," the unruly-haired man said after a moment of silence. "The queen's wish has been granted and Father's ignored. What's done is done, it's no use crying over things that are in the past." He discarded the weaved crown from his head to release some of the curls to frame his face. "I truly wish you luck, Brother, but do yourself a favour and forget about me the moment conflict arises in the southern regions with the rebels. I wish not to be involved in any matters of state."

"Surely you do not mean to shirk your responsibilities as the realm's protector, Cassian?"

The man chuckled bitterly. "And whose decision was this based upon naming me that? Yours?"

"Well, yes." Gaius sighed. "Who else is known to be a formidable fighter besides you? Father has trusted you enough to be at his side in a battlefield, and what was good for him is as good for me." The raven-haired man placed a hand on his brother's arm. "Who better to be named as protector than you?"

"I'm dreadfully sorry, Gaius, but I can't accept it." Once again, the gnawing guilt overcame his senses.

I'm the reason he's gone, the words echoed through his head. It's my fault. Mine!

"Why not? Is it because of me? Is it because of me that Uncle Haris crowned instead of you?"

"No. You being crowned is the least of what has been bothering me since we returned from Claethorpes!"

"Then, pray tell, what is bothering you!"

"I do not think it is the best time to have this conversation, Gaius," Cassian warned. "We shall speak about it some time in the future."

Sir Dante attempted to steer Gaius away from his brother though it was to no avail. If there was something the siblings had in common it had to be stubbornness. Gaius wouldn't leave until he heard what he wanted, and Cassian wouldn't speak up if he wanted to. Dante was afraid that with Gaius prodding the festering wound that Cassian wrapped up since their return from Claethorpes the whole thing would bottleneck into another fiasco that could have been prevented.

"You Majesty," he attempted again. "The queen wishes to speak with you in private upon your return. Please, let us not keep Her Highness waiting."

Gaius sighed. His brother probably was disappointed of how things turned out to be and probably needed a moment or two to himself.

"Sir Dante is right, Your Majesty," the Great Sage stated. "As gentlemen, we are not to keep ladies waiting!"

"Alright," the younger man surrendered. "Prepare me my horse. Mother will of course be dissatisfied if I return home late."

Cassian rolled his eyes at the mention of Sophia's reaction but was relieved that Gaius left things as they were. If he had asked him once more what the matter was, Cassian was sure he would have knocked him over with a punch to the jaw. Couldn't Gaius see he was struggling?

His uncle regarded him with sympathy once Gaius left, but he held up an arm. "I shall meet with you at midnight, Uncle, but for now, I just need to process all that has happened."

"Very well," Haris conceded. "But do take care of yourself, Nephew. I wish no harm to befall you and have the empire's destiny at stake."

Cassian huffed as he took the reigns of his horse, Midnight. "You know me, Uncle; I care not for a thing such as destiny." He swiftly mounted Midnight. "But if there is one thing I care for, it was my father, and I wish to honour his memory. No harm will befall me if I could help it. I'll see you at the temple." With a 'hiya!', Cassian ushered his stallion towards the amphitheatre's gates and steered him into town.

With dusk approaching the city of Ubbin Falls, the otherwise vibrant city was quiet as residents mourned the king's death. Only a few foreign merchants were around busy packing up as there were no customers around to haggle with in the city plaza. Cassian's horse walked through the sandstone buildings and under the few olive trees that were planted in the parts of exposed earth and nurtured by the river. As he headed west the city gates appeared in front of him and by a whim, he decided to take Midnight on a rendezvous outside Ubbin Falls' walls, desperate to clear his head.

The guards stationed at the gate for patrol nodded in recognition of the late king's son before letting him exit.

Though cooled, the dry desert air still left a pleasant warmth on his exposed skin as Midnight galloped with the path. Gigantic granite formations rose from the otherwise barren landscape, their silhouettes great shadows in the coloured, dusky skies. Cassian felt as if he could breathe somewhat better having escaped the confinement of the city, his steeds rushing past familiar checkpoints in their journey to Claethorpes. It was when he reached the cross-roads that led to Claethorpes and the temple respectively that he reigned in his stallion, coming to a halt. The beautiful grey horse whinnied and heeded his rider's command, breathing heavily.

Cassian stroked the hairs of Midnight's mane. "Easy there, boy, easy," he told the horse. "I know; I, too, wish to go out and ride as often as we used to. The current circumstances did not allow for it until now." He breathed a sigh and glanced up at the constellations beginning to appear against the darkened sky. It was something King Darius always did when he felt a need to escape the busy life of being king, even it if was just for a moment to admire the stars above.

Cassian regarded the stillness of his surroundings before deciding to dismount and giving Midnight free reign to browse on the few patches of desert grass present. A perk for always accompanying his father Cassian learnt a great deal of finding hidden treasures for relaxation.

Only a few people knew of the hidden salt pools near Ubbin Falls and Cassian often broke away from the palace for a midnight swim with his father. The water of these oases contained such a high saline concentration that sinking was impossible, thus anyone who was too afraid to tread the pools of the waterfalls near the palace could easily stay afloat and bathe to their hearts' content.

Hidden between grand granite formations, the waters gleamed invitingly as Cassian approached them, sandals in his hand. He was about to strip himself of his white tunic when he heard a swift shifting of feet along with a child crying. Alerted, Cassian stilled and waited, not bothering to strap his feet back into the sandals. Walking barefoot, he snuck towards the noise.

The child was about eight to ten years old, crying and clutching to a loaf of bread. His tunic, or what was left of it, was dusty and torn, his feet calloused, and the skin of his arms blistered, as if burnt by the sun. Sensing that the boy was crying out of fear, Cassian crept closer to find three luring figures around the boy.

"Well, wouldn't you make a fine recruit for the rebellion?" Cassian heard one of the figures say. "The chief did say that small children of this barbaric place will do for the upcoming invasion."

"Please," the little boy cried. "I am not looking for trouble. I.. I just wanted some food to eat. My little sister's sick and I need to go back to take care of her."

"Even better!" another figure laughed. "We get to raise the little wench for our enjoyment!"

Cassian grinded on his teeth. Rebels! What the hell are they doing near the capital? The warrior grabbed hold of the hilt of his sword, prepared to intervene at precise the right time. How cowardly of rebels to kidnap children for their own benefit!

"She's only a baby, please!" the boy cried. "Please don't hurt her."

"That's not for you to decide, you little scumbag!" Cassian heard the boy cry out in pain as the rebel grabbed hold of his arm, the loaf of bread forgotten on the sand. "This one ought to do. Leave the other brat to starve. One barbarian less to deal with!"

"No! No, please!" the boy cried. "White Hunter! White Hunter! I need you!"

A flash of white appeared out of nowhere. Cassian was taken aback by both the boy's cry for help as well as the figure that suddenly charged at the rebels that took hostage of the boy. It wore a white cloak that covered the stranger's head and back. The face of the boy's rescuer was concealed behind a simple white mask, though Cassian couldn't make out who it was.

The cloaked figure made quick work of dealing with the rebels, despite them having drawn their weapons. It appeared to be arrows the stranger launched into the closest rebel's limbs upon close contact, resulting in him crying in pain while collapsing to the floor.

"I can't move!" the one rebel exclaimed.

"Get her!"

The cloaked figure pulled out a bow as the rebel farthest from it began to charge, holding up a rusty sword, and fired an arrow that pierced the brute's leg in an instant. The rebel buckled over and landed in a nearby cactus with a yelp. To the other rebel the stranger pointed another arrow, regardless of the man throwing down his sword and holding his hands up in surrender.

"Have mercy!" he pleaded. "We didn't know he belonged to you."

The white-cloaked figure remained silent despite the rebel's desperate pleas and fired another shot. The arrow embedded itself into the rebel's arm and he collapsed, paralysed.

"Whoa," the little boy said, staring in awe. "You really came!"

The white-cloaked figure kneeled in front of him, an overly slender arm gripping the boy's shoulder. "Did I not explicitly tell you not to go out after sunset, Eli?" A woman?

"I know you did, but Alya was crying, and she was hungry…" The boy began to cry. "I didn't know the bad people would come out this soon. We waited a whole day for you to come back. We were hungry."

The masked woman sighed. "I'm sorry, Eli," the stranger apologised. "I would have returned home sooner if there weren't a ruckus in the city. All the merchants have packed up and the bakers were closed."

The funeral held up this woman from fending for her family. But where do they live? Why are they so poor that the woman had to fend for her children like that, and where is the woman's husband? Is he a farm worker nearby? Why is she clothed in a white cloak and mask, and why did the boy yell 'White Hunter'? The questions kept on mauling through Cassian's head.

"Well, I did get some bread for us," Eli said apologetically looking at the loaf now on the sand. "Did those bad men come after me because I stole from them? They had many loaves, and I did ask them for just one…."

"No, Eli." The masked woman glanced at the men around them, still paralysed. "That's not why. It is because they hate the king who lives within the city."

"The man who wears a crown?"

"Exactly."

"Don't we hate him, too?" the boy enquired curiously. "Why are the men bad to us if we hate the king, too?"

"Let's just say that there are many people who dislike the king, Eli," the woman said. "Come along, now. We need to head home. I'm sure Alya's going to love the bread you got for her!"

"But it's ruined, now!"

"No, look!" The woman picked up the loaf and dusted it from the sand. "We'll just have to cut off the part that landed on the sand. Otherwise, it's not ruined."

"Okay," Eli said and grabbed hold of it. "Let's go, then."

"Eli, promise me one thing." The woman hugged the little boy close. "Please, don't ever scare me like that again, okay?"

"Okay. I'm sorry."

Cassian, hiding behind a rock formation, accidently felt his foot slip on some loose stones, which tumbled down and alerted the two conversing.

"What was that?" the little boy asked frightened.

"Don't worry," the woman said, drawing her bow. "Maybe it is just an animal. It will run away." Just for the sake of safety, the white-cloaked woman shot an arrow towards the noise. Cassian had only a moment to move before the arrow pierced his calf in the dark. Fortunately, it landed on the ground with a thud, signalling a non-existent threat to the other.

"See?" she asked the boy after waiting a few moments. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Come on." The boy took hold of the woman's hand as she led them away between the rocks.

"Hey!" one of the rebels called when they took their turn to leave. "You can't leave us like this! Give us the antidote, you witch!"

"I'm sure the guards of the city will be pleased to find three rebels paralysed at their disposal," the woman nonchalantly stated and left.

Cassian, waiting until their shadows were no longer visible, came from his hiding place and bent over the arrow that was fired in his direction. Carefully, he picked up the sharp object, and treaded towards the rebels.

"Thank the Heavens, we are saved!" one of the paralysed men exclaimed, but as soon as Cassian's recognisable features came into view. Curly, long hair, tanned skin, harsh facial features, and eyes of different colour – one as blue as the desert skies at midday, the other as blazing as the golden sun. Emotions of fear replaced the humiliation of being defeated by a woman. "Oh, Heavens, I'd rather die!"

"Interesting statement," the warrior said and kneeled next to the rebel. "You'd rather welcome death than to deal with me? How unfortunate of you to have to come face-to-face with a freak."

"You… you are…" The man swallowed thickly and tried to move, yet to no avail.

"Do not be so petrified," Cassian growled. "I won't kill you… yet. Only a coward will seek to bring death to an enemy when he is in no condition to defend himself. It renders me speechless that rebels have the audacity to enclose on the capital of the empire without thinking that they'll be intercepted." He grabbed the man by his tunic to lift him off the ground by a few inches. "Now, do pray tell. Who sent you?"