Chapter Four- Imprisoned

Isaiah 33:8- "…The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised…"

Eventually, they were captured, as Tielle knew they would be. There was never really any hope.

But she still held her head high, and she let the fires of hatred and arrogance burn in her eyes and in her heart. She would never submit her spirit to these captors, even if she did wear their manacles around her wrists!

She and a terrified Arilana were led to the brig of the ship and thrown together in one cell. A solider rifled through their bags and took away the datapad as Tielle knew he would, but he left them with the rest of their things. As soon as he left, Tielle grabbed her book of the Prophets. She frantically turned to a passage that would hopefully reassure Arilana. "Here, Arilana, listen to this: 'So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you'."

"Admirable sentiments, indeed," a cool voice interrupted Tielle. She whipped her head up to see a man reeking of arrogance and authority.

"Who are you?" Tielle demanded, her pulse pounding wildly.

The elderly man chuckled, but his black eyes remained hard. "You are hardly in any position to be making demands, Princess Tielle. And you know it; I can sense the fear emanating from you. Although you do control your fear better than your younger sister here, don't you?"

I can sense the fear… "You're Farearian," Tielle said flatly, not even believing it. Why would they kidnap her when they were negotiating a treaty with Hidon?

The man smiled. "You don't miss a thing, do you, Tielle? You'd make a most wonderful Queen, but unfortunately you will never get the chance. No one will know where you've disappeared to; they'll think that you had an accident in light-space."

Tielle thought of her message to her mother. "Or maybe they won't."

Queen Shari was literally sick with worry. She had vomited when she read Tielle and Arilana's message and then confirmed with Partini that her daughters had not reached Fareari. Partini had canceled all of his appointments and was now attempting to convince King Faihn the need of sending a search party to look for them.

Of course, the Farearian King had so far dedicated none of his resources to the cause, and so only Hidon's military was looking for them. And since they didn't know when the shuttle had been pulled out of light-space, they had to search every parsec of space from Hidon to Fareari.

Queen Shari declared an official emergency and informed Hidon of the missing princesses. She showed them the message that she had received from them.

Instantly other worlds like Ziex and Shansire offered their assistance. Prince Kall even came to Hidon personally to deliver his planet's condolences and pledge their aid. Tielle had chosen a good man.

Queen Shari met with Prince Kall alone in her private office, away from the many eyes of other nobles and the commoners that had come to the palace.

"Prince Kall," Queen Shari began, "as tragic and dire as this hour is, with my daughters and only heirs to the throne missing, there is a… more personal tragedy here, one that I felt was my duty to let you know."

Kall was listening intently now. Queen Shari continued. "Before I received the now-well-known message from Tielle and Arilana, I received another one. In it, Tielle told me of her acceptance to your proposal."

Kall slumped slightly in his chair, shock evident upon his face.

"If and when Tielle returns, we will of course be making an official announcement. Until then we cannot, and truly I do not want to. But when Tielle returns…" she let her words hang in the air.

Kall straightened. "Then, Your Highness, may I consider myself unofficially engaged to Princess Tielle?"

Queen Shari nodded. "You may."

On Fareari, King Partini was having trouble not giving in to his temper and throttling Faihn's scrawny neck.

"King Faihn," he started for the thousandth time, "and help you could give us with finding our princesses would be greatly appreciated. There is too much space between Hidon and Fareari to search alone."

"Ah, but you are not alone, are you? Ziex and Shansire have committed their militaries to searching for the princesses also, or are the news-holos' reports incorrect?"

"No," King Partini rubbed his sore temples, "the news-holos are not incorrect. But please, reconsider. How are we to manage a treaty if you cannot take responsibility for anything that may have happened in your space?"

It had been, King Partini would later reflect, the wrong thing to say.

"Are you saying that you are adverse to peace? Is this treaty too much for you? You want war?"

"No, no," King Partini hastily said, "I only meant-"

"Well, if you do not want war, then leave Fareari," the other King roared. "I cannot be bothered with unwilling and ungrateful Kings like you! There will be no treaty, let me assure you!"

Commander Thash hadn't told Tielle and Arilana anything, but Tielle uneasily noted that he was not the type of man who would mind torturing or killing either of them if the opportunity presented itself.

The fact that he hadn't already tortured them probably meant that he wouldn't or he would have already done so. Perhaps the superior that he had referred to (who Tielle suspected to be the infamous King Faihn) wanted them unharmed.

That was a nice thought.

Commander Thash had said only that the two girls would be taken to Fareari and settled somewhere hidden where they wouldn't be found by Hidonian commandoes. He also said that escape from such a place was impossible and foolish to attempt.

Tielle imagined a prison, hidden away in an island in one of Fareari's many oceans. Or maybe a prison in the woodlands, among the predators of the forest?

Twice a day meals were delivered. They usually consisted of water, Farearian bread that Tielle found disgusting, and occasionally a soggy, over-cooked vegetable. The pathetic meals made Tielle miss the Hidonian palace's delicious banquets and accomplished chefs.

Tielle counted the days by the meals. Eight meals came and went, the equivalent of four days. What was taking so long? It should take merely minutes to get to Fareari, not days. Even traveling to the other side of the planet should take only hours. Tielle couldn't figure out what might be taking so long.

Not that it mattered. She couldn't do anything about it anyway.

Then on the sixth day, Tielle and Arilana were pulled from their cell and escorted down corridors and hallways. Finally they stopped, and a Farearian pushed a button.

A door slid open, and Tielle got her first look at Fareari.

In Chapter Five- Purification Retreat, Tielle and Arilana are imprisoned in the impenetrable Farearian forests…