The Fairest Lady: Chapter Three

After dinner, Anzu was unsurprised that her fiancé asked her out to the gardens to stroll for a moment. She suspected that he had not liked the idea of her being alone with Mai, let alone talking of such personal matters. Contrary to what she was expecting, the older female had been quite mild. Anzu had half-expected her to give intimate details of her own experiences and how she had done it. Mai had given her advice in an offhand, even impersonal manner. It made the conversation less uncomfortable. "Your sister was nice for a change, Yami," she told him as they walked along the gardens. The spring air was cool, although not so much that it might persuade them to go back inside the castle. "And...very helpful. I'll save you the embarrassment by not repeating it. I can't imagine you want to hear about those kinds of things about your sister." He glanced at her, giving a slight smile. "Yami, what's wrong? You didn't like me talking to her, did you?"

"You know that Mai is a generally unpleasant character," he told her softly. "She isn't nice to any girl, Anzu, most especially if she is connected to me. She despises me – for good reason, I suppose – and it makes me uneasy, not knowing what she is thinking. I am almost certain that there is more to that conversation than she made." He let loose a sigh. Only then did Anzu realize how worried he was. Clearly there were other matters on his mind, too. She had known that before when she spoke to him earlier that day. "I think Bakura might have formed her magic for her – made it dark."

"She mentioned Bakura," Anzu offered. "She was quite upset about it. Apparently she saw him as a friend and he betrayed her somehow."

"I see...That's what she told you?" His mouth tightened petulantly. It was not unlike Mai to spread lies, as it seemed to be a favorite past time of hers. The issue with this was that he did not know what Mai's relationship had been with Bakura. They were seen together from time to time publicly, but Bakura had always been careful in everything he did where others could see him. He had weaved lies throughout the castle, placing mask upon mask onto himself so that no one could be quite sure who he truly was. Yami, however, had known there was something not quite right about the court sorcerer and made it his business to know exactly who the man was. Bakura never tried to deceive him as he did others, either. That, in itself, was bothersome. It was hard enough trying to figure out Bakura without putting his sister into the picture. "I would prefer you not to speak with her alone without me knowing, Anzu," he said at last.

"But – " He halted her abruptly, taking her hands in his.

"You never met Bakura, Anzu. If he passed some knowledge to her and she finds you disagreeable..." He trailed off, his brow furrowing worriedly. Her gaze passed over his face pensively as she considered over the threat he was implying. Yami rarely asked for such precautions unless he truly felt there was need for them.

"I won't," she decided. She smiled and slid her hands out of his, raising a hand to brush her fingertips over his cheek. "I promise. Besides, I'm stronger than I look, even against a sorceress. I can take care of myself." Yami nodded, comforted by her promise, and he turned so they were walking towards the castle. "We're going in so soon?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I would like more time with you, but some...things...have come up that I need to deal with, sooner rather than later. You ought to get to bed early, Anzu, after all that stress that you had to deal with today." He walked her through the castle and came to halt at the staircase that led up to the corridor that held her chambers. He leaned forward and brushed his lips over her cheek. "Get some sleep." He flashed a brief, comforting smile, and then turned, heading back the way they had come. Anzu watched him for a moment, puzzled by his demeanor, before moving up the stairs. It was strange; not until he had mentioned sleep did she get weary. She reminded herself that he was correct: she had been busy all day.

X

The djinn raised his head, his bent back straightening. He had stood at vigil in the gardens, his body blending in with the surroundings. The spell Mai had cast not only allowed him to know Anzu's whereabouts, but hear her heartbeat. He had rested, listening to her heartbeat vaguely until it gradually came to a steady, languid pace. She was now asleep. Mai had not given him instructions when he should take her to the Forest of Dim, so he concluded that it would be wisest to snatch her in her sleep when she was less likely to throw a fit.

His legs uncurled, his arms bending at an awkward angle before returning to their folded position against his chest. He paused to listen, making certain that she was still sleeping and that no one was in the vicinity. He extended his wings and gave a single thrust to lift himself into the air. As he rose higher, he allowed the blending spell to drop. He soared around the castle, following the thread that led him to the princess. When he came to the balcony, he folded himself gracefully on the stone, gliding through the glass doors to stand in the chambers. His eyes flickered around lazily.

These are not her bedchambers, he deduced. He continued through the chambers and at last came to where she was sleeping. He floated around to the bed and landed softly, staring down at the young face. He almost wished he could hold regret for causing harm about this girl, but his emotions were solidly indifferent. As a djinn serving under its master or mistress, they could hold not emotions or else they might not be able to perform a task that is commanded of them. They could hate the one controlling them. Their emotions were not restricted so that they could feel nothing towards them. This djinn felt only pity for Mai, though, and wanted to help her to remain happy. If harming the prince's fiancée was what it took to do that, he would.

He put a spell on her to keep her asleep, pulling back the covers and bundling her in a quilt that was lying on the end of the bed. Satisfied, he lifted himself from the ground with his wings and surged through the walls again to the chambers where the windows were, moving through those as well to soar in the air towards the Forest of Dim. The Forest was some ways from the castle; it would take him a bit to arrive and find a suitable place where she could be feasted upon the raging animals within.

By the time he had come to the edge of the Forest, night had settled thickly, suggesting that there would be only hours until the sun rose. The djinn was weakest at daylight and would be unable to perform any spells. He did not like being in such a compromising situation, especially if he was caught and it was discovered that the princess was missing. If they killed him, they might end up killing his mistress, as well.

Dismayed at such a thought, he dived into the forest trees and deftly avoided the larger branches. Once nearly at land level, he maneuvered past the tree trunks and shrubbery, his glowing eyes darting around searchingly. His face lit up with delight at finding a stump that appeared to be an awry part of the forest. He was deep enough that no human would find her. He hoped that the animals of the forest would keep humans away.

The djinn deposited her against the stump. Satisfied that he had finished the job well enough, he left the Forest of Dim and returned to the castle. He blended again with his surroundings. He returned to the goblet shortly before the sun began to rise. He nestled inside and closed his eyes briefly, shivering at how close he had been to losing his powers. If the sun had risen while he was traveling through the walls, he very well could have become lodged there forever.

"Djinn," Mai's deep, sultry voice called from above him. He opened his eyes and floated out of the goblet. He was exhausted from the mission she had set him out to do. She smiled at him and asked, "Am I the fairest lady in Kraion?"

To which he replied, "Yes."

X

When Anzu woke, her face was cold and her body was not as warm as it should have been. She could not imagine herself throwing all of the covers off, so she reached down absent-mindedly with her eyes closed, only feeling a thin quilt. Her hands brushed something rough and until then, she had not noticed there were sounds of animals all around her. Cautiously, and more than a bit fearfully, she opened her eyes to see that she was not in her bed at all – she was not even in the castle!

She gathered the quilt around her, staring with wide eyes. This must be the Forest of Dim, she thought, shivering. I don't think it could be anything else. She swallowed the lump in her throat and drifted to a tree, staring at the moss covering the base. Unfortunately, she had not been paying attention to what her father was saying when he spoke of moss on trees. She never thought she would be without a compass, let alone lost. All I have is a quilt and what I'm wearing. The damp feel of leaves and earth pressed against her feet. I don't even have any shoes.

Anzu rested against the tree, biting her lip. Think for a minute, she counseled herself. Are you really awake? Perhaps this is just a nightmare you're going through. She reached up and pinked her cheek, wincing at the sharp pain. This is no nightmare. Oh, how I wish it were. She looked around. I'm not in a clearing, so obviously the person that took me from the castle didn't intend on coming back. They just dumped me in the middle of the forest. That only means I'm even more lost than I could have been. Well...The only thing to do is start walking, I guess. She stepped back to the stump and looked around. Everything looked the same. I'll just go forward, then...

Abandoning the stump, she walked forward, flinching at the feel of twigs and rocks and other forest floor objects pressing against the soft flesh of her feet. Anzu could hear the twittering of birds, but there were no other animal sounds that she was familiar with when entering such thick woods. Odd, she reflected, stepping over a fallen trunk. If I am as deep in the forest as I think I am, I should even see some wild animals, like a deer or something. The thought caused her to pause, washing her with a foreboding that could not be brushed off. Once again, her cerulean gaze flitted around the trees. Either someone's inhabiting this area or... She had no other alternative; she was unable to think of another possible reason for why the animals would be missing. I might not be as deep as I thought. Somehow, I have a feeling it's not that.

Anzu continued forward determinedly, hugging the quilt around her. She did not like the idea of sitting against a tree in pure darkness in this forest tonight. She prayed she might be able to find a path or someone else in the forest so that she could return to the castle. Walking in bare feet is painful, she thought. If I keep my pace like this, I won't be getting that much further. Unfortunately, that was the truth. She sighed and paused again. As she stood there, staring ahead of her dismally, she realized how utterly silent it had gone. The birds stopped. I never heard them leave, either. She whipped around. There was nothing behind her. The silence was thick and perturbing.

Keeping her breathing shallow, she strained her eyes for any sounds. After awhile, soft rustling came from her left. She turned, pressing her lips together anxiously as she listened.

Snap

Snap

Snap snap snap

Whatever it is, Anzu realized, taking a step back, it's coming closer and quickly. She turned and abandoned her quilt, springing forward to flee. The pursuer sensed the chase, no longer restraining themselves in order to be quiet. Behind her, Anzu heard the breaking of branches and a low snarl. She chanced a look over her shoulder and let loose a moan of terror at seeing the mountain lion. I could never outrun it! Even if I hid, it would know where I was! She tried to run faster, despite the logic her brain had come up with, and let out a choked exclamation as a sharp branch stabbed her foot, sticking painfully. As she tried to get it out, she found herself tripping and tumbling down a hill. Bringing her arms up to her face to shield it, she felt branches and rocks beating against her as she rolled down the steep hill. Behind her, she heard the mountain lion snarling and following her. They don't usually act like this towards humans! Surely it can't be that hungry?

As she came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, she looked down at her foot to see that it was bleeding and a piece of the stick was still protruding from the wound. She stumbled to her feet and limped away, breathless. She halted, not hearing the mountain lion any longer. Looking back, she saw it was gone. Baffled, she slowly lowered herself into a crouch, frantically searching her surroundings and listening intently. "You're still here," she whispered, straightening a bit. "I can't see you, but you're there."

As if answering her, there was a sharp, cat-like growl from a few feet beside her. She turned in time to roll away from the mountain lion. There was no way she could run from it, nor could she hide from it. She scrabbled towards a thick branch and hauled it from the ground. Her entire frame was trembling. She could have dealt with the animal if she had a sword or a bow. A stick, however, was an entirely different thing. The only way to kill it was to knock it over the head hard enough. Her balance was already poor because of her injured foot and the stick was too broad. Her hands could barely hold it. There were no other large branches, so she was going to have to try and survive with this.

The mountain lion crouched, its tailing flicking predatorily. Her grip tightened on the branch, glaring into the dilated pupils of its amber eyes. It seemed almost amused with her stance, staring at her in a way that mocked, "You really think you can kill me like that?" Anzu, trembling ever so slightly, did not turn and run like it was probably expecting her to do. She stood, waiting. At last, it lunged from its crouch and she moved to the side, swinging the branch as hard as she could. The mountain lion tore the branch from her hands, flinging it to the side. She slipped on damp leaves, falling to the ground. The mountain lion wrung the branch for a moment before creeping slowly towards her.

"This does not seem to be your day," a silky voice remarked from behind her. Anzu froze, as well as the mountain lion. Its gaze had turned suspicious. She jerked when a pair of hands landed on her shoulders. "No need to be so frightened. At the moment, I'm not your biggest threat. As for later...Well, that can be debatable." She tilted her head back to stare up at a bronze-skinned male that smiled pleasantly down at her. "Stand up." He removed his hands and stepped towards the mountain lion. Apparently it understood what was happening and escaped, running faster than it had when going after Anzu.

She unsteadily rose to her feet, watching as the male returned his gaze to her, looking speculative. His dark cloak concealed everything but his black pants and boots. His long, dirty-blonde hair clashed against the colour. Only until then did she notice that his manner of moving and careful speaking was much like a nobleman's. "Who are you?" Anzu finally asked him.

"I believe that should be my question," he retorted, raising smooth, blonde eyebrows. "No one dares comes into the Forest of Dim now that the animals have turned savage. I would be less surprised if you were dressed appropriately and with guards. Instead," he gestured towards her, "you are dressed in sleepwear with no shoes, no weapon, and completely alone. I'm curious as to know how you survived getting into one of the very thickest parts of the forest."

Instinctively, Anzu was on guard and didn't trust him. So, instead of explaining her position fully, she coolly told him, "I don't think it's any of your business."

An edge of his mouth slid upward in a smirk. "No, you're quite right. In any case, I suppose I can't just leave you out here to be eaten. You shall have to come with me back to the cottage. If you let that piece of branch stay in your foot any longer, it'll get infected." He held out a hand. When she simply stood there, he sighed and stepped towards her. As soon as his hand grasped hers, she felt a warm wind whipping around her, engulfing her in darkness. Terrified, she closed her eyes and grabbed his arm with her other hand. The wind's smell was not at all like the forest, an exotic scent of a sandy country, the warmth feeling of sunlight and natural heat. A moment later, the wind settled and his amused voice said, "You can open your eyes now."

She did so and found she was standing in a comfortable, cozy room. Across from her was a narrow hallway with a window allowing light in. Limping down the hallway to the window, she peered out to find that she was still in the forest.

At least I'm not alone, she told herself, or outside. I feel much safer here. She withdrew and dragged herself back to the room to see that the man had left. She made a quick survey. There was a wooden table in the corner with two matching chairs and beside it was an arched doorway leading to another room. On the other side of the doorway was a book shelf of aging books and urns. Below the shelves were two closed cabinets. A mirror stood beside it, but her reflection was of no interest to her at the moment. Settled simply against the wall was a red-cushioned divan with a low table across from it. She took note that everything was perfectly masculine. So there is no woman that lives here...

The man returned to the room with a bowl of steaming water, a miniature container that generally held powder, bandages, and a white rag. "Come. Sit on the divan so I can tend to your foot," he said, tipping his head towards the divan. She obliged him and he sat beside her, raising her leg and pulling the branch out. She clenched her eyes tight, shocked that it had been embedded so deeply. When she glanced at him, she saw that he appeared to be unbothered by it. He undid the container, setting it on the table. She watched interestedly as he washed her foot with the water and rag before he applied the white cream from the container and bandaged it.

"My name is Malik," he told her a bit belatedly. "I live here with two other sorcerers." He rose to his feet, collecting the things. With a wry expression, he added, "It would be better for them to introduce themselves. No one here is bound to know me." He smiled his charming, pleasant smile. "And who are you?"

"...Unlike you, I am known here." He shrugged apathetically, indicating that it did not matter who she was. "I am Anzu." He stared at her blankly. "I am the princess of Siruean." There was a flicker of interest at this piece of information. If not for watching him so closely, Anzu would not have seen it. He gave no response to this, leaving her once again in the room. The thoughts that rose to her mind were not kind. She did not feel entirely safe with three sorcerers. It was improper to be alone with a man unless you were engaged or married to him or if he was family. But then, she cynically thought, when have I ever listened to what the court dictates?

Anzu sighed quietly, raising her eyes to the ceiling. Her brow furrowed, only just then noticing that the walls and ceiling were not white as she had initially thought. They were a delicate colour of toffee. The colour matched the furniture quite well. Nonetheless, it continued to appear as a masculine room. It was less than reassuring to know that she was trapped with three sorcerers as her companions. Magic was something she had never particularly trusted. Her father scorned it. Those that actually performed it did not bother her, unless they performed it in front of her.

I think Yami may have been right after all, she reluctantly admitted. It is too coincidental that I would end up in the middle of a forest and then nearly killed by a mountain lion shortly after speaking with Mai. Even if I somehow got back to Kraion, I have a feeling that witch would send me somewhere even more dangerous. I should have listened to Yami...He knows Mai better than I ever could.

Malik appeared in the doorway to what she assumed was the kitchen. He smiled benignly. "Why don't we find something for you to wear and get you settled in my room? You're probably exhausted." She stared at him. "I know that sleeping in a man's room is forbidden to you princesses, but we're not really in a position where things can be manipulated," he explained, misinterpreting her expression. "In fact...Having rolled all over the ground, you are probably filthy. I can heat you a bath, if you want."

"Thank you, Malik," Anzu told him in a heartfelt manner. "That would be lovely. To be honest, I have not met many kind sorcerers."

His eyes glittered amusingly as he chortled. "I am sure there is a reason for that, princess."

X

After Malik had helped Anzu into his bed and drained the marble bath tub, he went downstairs to the drawing room at the other end of the hall opposing the living area where he and Anzu had been. There were two bedchambers upstairs, along with a study that belonged to Seto, who held the other bedroom. The largest bedchamber was on the level floor, near the drawing room. There were two corridors that led to that bedchamber, one to the drawing room, the other to the entry hallway. That bedchamber belonged to Bakura, as he had developed the cottage himself and had lived in it alone before Malik and Seto came along. The other rooms were added as the three sorcerers met.

Reflecting on it, Malik knew that Bakura would be exceptionally interested in Anzu. Even as far as the deserts of Hoshäi, the kingdom in which Malik originated from, had he heard of the princess of Siruean. He never knew her name until today. Her betrothal to Yami, the prince of Kraion, had received outraged objections from her entire kingdom, most especially her father and brother. Malik, as a sorcerer, and hardly interested in politics, could not recall what disapprove of the prince was. However, if she was still betrothed to the prince, Bakura would easily be able to come up with a scheme to use her for his own ends against Yami. If not that, he would likely kill her. Either way, it mattered not to Malik. What Bakura did was his own business.

A few hours after he had taken care of the torn nightgown of Anzu's and cleaned up the water basin used to heat the water, Seto slid through the kitchen from the back door. Although Malik and Bakura did not necessarily get along with the sorcerer, there was no doubt that he had his uses. He was as disinterested in them, keeping to himself the majority of the time. He was older than both of them with more experience and knowledge. The only thing that either of them excelled in was the dark arts. He had only dabbled in that. Unfortunately, his mere experimentation with it had nearly cost him his life. Before Bakura, he had been the court sorcerer in Kraion. They had learned that the one thing that Seto could not withstand was power. The dark arts had suggested an increase in his power and control; that was the only reason he had ever become involved in them.

"There is a princess in my bed," Malik stated plainly to the taller male from the kitchen table he was seated at. Seto paused in the act of moving up the staircase that led to the second level where his chambers were located. The only stairs that led upward were in the kitchen, near the entrance to the living area.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Seto queried in a bored tone. "How could you even have a woman in your bed?"

"She was stumbling around in the forest and I was being quite serious. She is the princess of Siruean." One of Seto's eyebrows rose and slowly, his azure gaze drifted to the window above the counter. It was past noon, the day gliding through the afternoon. Soon it would be sunset, when Bakura was sure to arrive at the cottage. The animals that came out at dark were far worse than those in daylight. "I need you to be here when I talk to Bakura. Personally, I don't give a shit if she lives or dies. Still, I can't predict Bakura's reaction any better than you." At that, Seto's brows lowered, knitting together, and his mouth turned down further, forming a perfect scowl.

"I beg to differ," was his bland response. He looked again to the window, as though expecting the outside forestry to counsel him. At length, he said, "Anzu is betrothed to Yami – she has been since they were children. I expect Bakura will be pleased to find her landing in his lap without him needing to even lift a finger." Malik blinked as Seto abandoned the staircase for the den. "Of course, when does he ever work?" He added.

"Before we knew him, I'm sure," Malik answered cheerfully, laughing.

X

DIS: I know these first three chapters have been a bit boring and I tried to speed it up, but I assure you there are many more details, conflict, drama, etc., from here on out. I've got it all laid out, so updates should be moderately fast unless I get held up by a school project or something dumb like that. In any case, please review and tell me how you like it so far! Constructive criticism is adored! Ciao!