Chapter Eight- The Death of Pride
Proverbs 16:18- "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."
The next day Hristen allowed the younger sister to come outside with Tielle, and Chayden once again accompanied them, watching them closely as they lounged by the pond's side.
Arilana was relieved just to see her older sister again, and Tielle was too, although she hid it with an exterior of nonchalance and boredom.
It's as though she doesn't want to show emotion to us, Chayden mused, noting her frequent glances in his direction. As if she thinks any emotion other than hatred or anger shows weakness.
She was very proud, Chayden could tell, and weakness was obviously not something she was comfortable with. Arilana, on the other hand, was open and honest about her feelings, and not at all ashamed to admit that she was scared.
"We need to pray, Tielle," Chayden heard the younger sister say, settling down beside the Crown Princess, "since we can't do anything, we have to ask God to."
Tielle grudgingly agreed, and the two bowed their heads and offered their petition to their god. Arilana openly asked for help, while Tielle asked for strength and guidance. Chayden got the impression that Tielle was hoping to bust out of her prison without much divine help, although it would be appreciated if her god were willing.
Yes, she was proud. Arrogance and self-confidence emanated off of her, whereas her younger sister was much more agreeable and likable.
So then why was it Tielle who fascinated him?
Chayden looked over at Tielle, her red hair that was as fiery as her personality reflecting the sun like a halo of glory.
And she is glorified on Hidon. She is the Crown Princess. I would do well to remember that, Chayden rebuked himself, turning away from the tantalizing princess.
Klane Satine on Hidon carefully watched the news-holos to see if anyone had any hint of where the princess might be. No one seemed to, but that did not reassure him. Partini could easily be withholding information from the public if he wanted to.
So Klane ventured to his older brother's palace and requested an audience with him. The petite secretary frowned and said, "His Majesty is not currently seeing anyone. I'm sorry."
Klane smiled a hard smile, not meant to give off any warmth. "Perhaps you do not understand. I am his brother, next in line for the throne if anything happens to the Princesses Tielle and Arilana." And most assuredly, something will happen to them. Soon.
The secretary bit her lip and sighed. "I can tell His Majesty that you've been here, but I make no promises. He has had very little time for anyone since the Princesses' disappearances. Might you want to speak to the Queen instead?"
"That won't be necessary," King Partini interrupted, stepping out of his lavish office. "I can speak to you now, Klane."
"Excellent," Klane purred, shooting a triumphant glance at the secretary, who just went back to work on her datapad. "I know that you are very busy, but I had to come and express my sympathies."
Partini nodded curtly and gestured to his office. The two men went inside, and Klane sat down on a chair in front of the large, ornate desk that Partini prized so much.
"Has there been any sign of the Princesses? Anything at all?" Klane asked, expressing false concern.
Partini shook his head grimly. "All we have found is faint energy-pulses outside of Fareari. But that just shows us where they were kidnapped and nothing more. We still don't know who kidnapped them, their motive, or where they took the girls. We are devoting all of our resources to finding them, but I fear that it is rather hopeless."
"But surely the Princesses haven't been harmed? Won't the captors demand a ransom of some sort, or something?"
Partini sighed. "Hopefully. But so far we have received nothing."
Klane hid his pleasure at this. Excellent. Then King Faihn was enjoying toying with Partini. That would make it that much easier to do away with the only two people who stood between him and the throne.
King Faihn was indeed enjoying watching Hidon in such a panicked state. He intended to trade the princesses for Hidon eventually, but for now he was having such fun seeing Hidon, Shansire and Ziex conduct such a desperate search.
And they would not find the princesses. They did not suspect Fareari, because why would Fareari kidnap the princesses if they had initiated a peace treaty?
Why, indeed, unless that peace treaty had been a farce and they had just wanted to get the princesses all the time.
Faihn smiled. It was working too well. That traitor Klane had been only too eager to inform Faihn when the princesses had come to Fareari, making their capture simple. Everything had gone far better than Faihn could have ever hoped.
The only potential wrinkle was Klane. Faihn knew of his plot to get the throne, and that could only be accomplished by the demise of the two princesses. Perhaps Klane was hoping that Faihn would finish them off, but the princesses were of no use to him dead. If Klane realized that, he might get daring and attempt to assassinate the princesses himself.
If he could find the princesses. But that would prove to be very difficult. They were hidden well, and protected well also. Faihn wasn't worried.
Faihn broke out of his thoughts and turned on the news-holos, smiling when a distraught Queen Shari addressed the public to keep them informed on the progress of what would prove to be a futile search.
Tielle woke up with a jolt, sweaty and panting. She had had a nightmare, one that had haunted her after her older siblings' deaths, but one that she had not had for months. Why did it have to come back now?
Sighing, Tielle turned in her bed in a vain attempt to get comfortable. It was no use; she couldn't get back to sleep.
She rose from her bed, put her robe on, and walked out onto the deck. It was the middle of the night, and a cool breeze was blowing. Tielle pushed her hair back from her face and looked out at the stars. Was one of them really Hidon? Was it night there? Were her parents fast asleep, or up, busy coordinating search parties?
Tielle heard a snap below her and she backed away from the edge of the balcony, momentarily frightened. Then she slowly crept to the edge again and looked down. In the dim light of the moon, she saw a figure down there, looking up at her. Could it see her?
A cable of rope suddenly shot up at Tielle, and she backed away quickly, watching as the rope, which, on closer inspection was actually a thick cord, fixed itself onto the balcony with a graphling hook.
I'm being rescued! Tielle excitedly thought, and she turned and gathered her belongings, waiting for her rescuer to be pulled up.
He came quickly and jumped over the edge of the balcony. "Princess!" he exclaimed, surprised at seeing her awake.
"I-" Tielle started, only to be interrupted as her door burst open and the guard posted outside of her door ran in, his laser drawn and held ready.
"No!" Tielle exclaimed as the guard fired. She instinctively hit the floor, but she needn't of. The guard's aim was perfect, and his victim fell to the floor.
Tielle got up and ran to her rescuer, knowing that it was useless. He was dead.
The guard had pulled out a tiny comdevice and spoke into it. "The Crown Princess is safe. Attacker is dead."
"Attacker!" Tielle exclaimed angrily. "He wasn't attacking me! He-"
"Princess," the guard interrupted her, "he was. He was an assassin."
"Sent by who? Who wants to assassin me, other than you Farearians? I don't believe it. He was here to-" Tielle broke off. "Where is Arilana? Did she escape?" Is that why they had thought to check on her? Because they had discovered the Arilana was gone?
The guard shook his head. "Not exactly."
"Where is she, then? I want to see her!"
"Fine. Come with me."
Tielle was led to Arilana's room, where dozens of people had gathered and were milling around the room. In the middle of it all were Hristen and Chayden, furiously barking out orders and listening to pages.
Tielle ran to Arilana's bed, where medics with all sorts of equipment were busily working and yelling at each other. Silent tears began to stream down Tielle's cheeks.
She elbowed her way to the bedside. "Hey! What are you doing?" Someone yelled, and she screamed back, "I'm her sister!"
Arilana laid there, her eyes closed and her face in a peaceful expression of sleep. The only thing marring her youthful image was a splotch of crimson red on her chest, seeping through her nightgown.
Tielle backed away. Medics rushed in to fill the gap where she had been, but one dashed all of Tielle's hopes when he shook his head sadly and said, "It's no use. She's gone."
Great gasping sobs erupted from Tielle then, and she turned to flee the room. A hand on her arm stopped her though, and she desperately fought it. "Let me go!" she demanded through tears, "let me go!"
"Tielle."
She stopped thrashing and looked up at Chayden.
"Are you all right?"
My last sibling was just assassinated! What do you think!
For once Tielle didn't use a sarcastic retort, however. She just looked up at Chayden, who had compassion shining in his eyes, and fell into his arms, sobbing.
Proverbs 16:18- "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."
The next day Hristen allowed the younger sister to come outside with Tielle, and Chayden once again accompanied them, watching them closely as they lounged by the pond's side.
Arilana was relieved just to see her older sister again, and Tielle was too, although she hid it with an exterior of nonchalance and boredom.
It's as though she doesn't want to show emotion to us, Chayden mused, noting her frequent glances in his direction. As if she thinks any emotion other than hatred or anger shows weakness.
She was very proud, Chayden could tell, and weakness was obviously not something she was comfortable with. Arilana, on the other hand, was open and honest about her feelings, and not at all ashamed to admit that she was scared.
"We need to pray, Tielle," Chayden heard the younger sister say, settling down beside the Crown Princess, "since we can't do anything, we have to ask God to."
Tielle grudgingly agreed, and the two bowed their heads and offered their petition to their god. Arilana openly asked for help, while Tielle asked for strength and guidance. Chayden got the impression that Tielle was hoping to bust out of her prison without much divine help, although it would be appreciated if her god were willing.
Yes, she was proud. Arrogance and self-confidence emanated off of her, whereas her younger sister was much more agreeable and likable.
So then why was it Tielle who fascinated him?
Chayden looked over at Tielle, her red hair that was as fiery as her personality reflecting the sun like a halo of glory.
And she is glorified on Hidon. She is the Crown Princess. I would do well to remember that, Chayden rebuked himself, turning away from the tantalizing princess.
Klane Satine on Hidon carefully watched the news-holos to see if anyone had any hint of where the princess might be. No one seemed to, but that did not reassure him. Partini could easily be withholding information from the public if he wanted to.
So Klane ventured to his older brother's palace and requested an audience with him. The petite secretary frowned and said, "His Majesty is not currently seeing anyone. I'm sorry."
Klane smiled a hard smile, not meant to give off any warmth. "Perhaps you do not understand. I am his brother, next in line for the throne if anything happens to the Princesses Tielle and Arilana." And most assuredly, something will happen to them. Soon.
The secretary bit her lip and sighed. "I can tell His Majesty that you've been here, but I make no promises. He has had very little time for anyone since the Princesses' disappearances. Might you want to speak to the Queen instead?"
"That won't be necessary," King Partini interrupted, stepping out of his lavish office. "I can speak to you now, Klane."
"Excellent," Klane purred, shooting a triumphant glance at the secretary, who just went back to work on her datapad. "I know that you are very busy, but I had to come and express my sympathies."
Partini nodded curtly and gestured to his office. The two men went inside, and Klane sat down on a chair in front of the large, ornate desk that Partini prized so much.
"Has there been any sign of the Princesses? Anything at all?" Klane asked, expressing false concern.
Partini shook his head grimly. "All we have found is faint energy-pulses outside of Fareari. But that just shows us where they were kidnapped and nothing more. We still don't know who kidnapped them, their motive, or where they took the girls. We are devoting all of our resources to finding them, but I fear that it is rather hopeless."
"But surely the Princesses haven't been harmed? Won't the captors demand a ransom of some sort, or something?"
Partini sighed. "Hopefully. But so far we have received nothing."
Klane hid his pleasure at this. Excellent. Then King Faihn was enjoying toying with Partini. That would make it that much easier to do away with the only two people who stood between him and the throne.
King Faihn was indeed enjoying watching Hidon in such a panicked state. He intended to trade the princesses for Hidon eventually, but for now he was having such fun seeing Hidon, Shansire and Ziex conduct such a desperate search.
And they would not find the princesses. They did not suspect Fareari, because why would Fareari kidnap the princesses if they had initiated a peace treaty?
Why, indeed, unless that peace treaty had been a farce and they had just wanted to get the princesses all the time.
Faihn smiled. It was working too well. That traitor Klane had been only too eager to inform Faihn when the princesses had come to Fareari, making their capture simple. Everything had gone far better than Faihn could have ever hoped.
The only potential wrinkle was Klane. Faihn knew of his plot to get the throne, and that could only be accomplished by the demise of the two princesses. Perhaps Klane was hoping that Faihn would finish them off, but the princesses were of no use to him dead. If Klane realized that, he might get daring and attempt to assassinate the princesses himself.
If he could find the princesses. But that would prove to be very difficult. They were hidden well, and protected well also. Faihn wasn't worried.
Faihn broke out of his thoughts and turned on the news-holos, smiling when a distraught Queen Shari addressed the public to keep them informed on the progress of what would prove to be a futile search.
Tielle woke up with a jolt, sweaty and panting. She had had a nightmare, one that had haunted her after her older siblings' deaths, but one that she had not had for months. Why did it have to come back now?
Sighing, Tielle turned in her bed in a vain attempt to get comfortable. It was no use; she couldn't get back to sleep.
She rose from her bed, put her robe on, and walked out onto the deck. It was the middle of the night, and a cool breeze was blowing. Tielle pushed her hair back from her face and looked out at the stars. Was one of them really Hidon? Was it night there? Were her parents fast asleep, or up, busy coordinating search parties?
Tielle heard a snap below her and she backed away from the edge of the balcony, momentarily frightened. Then she slowly crept to the edge again and looked down. In the dim light of the moon, she saw a figure down there, looking up at her. Could it see her?
A cable of rope suddenly shot up at Tielle, and she backed away quickly, watching as the rope, which, on closer inspection was actually a thick cord, fixed itself onto the balcony with a graphling hook.
I'm being rescued! Tielle excitedly thought, and she turned and gathered her belongings, waiting for her rescuer to be pulled up.
He came quickly and jumped over the edge of the balcony. "Princess!" he exclaimed, surprised at seeing her awake.
"I-" Tielle started, only to be interrupted as her door burst open and the guard posted outside of her door ran in, his laser drawn and held ready.
"No!" Tielle exclaimed as the guard fired. She instinctively hit the floor, but she needn't of. The guard's aim was perfect, and his victim fell to the floor.
Tielle got up and ran to her rescuer, knowing that it was useless. He was dead.
The guard had pulled out a tiny comdevice and spoke into it. "The Crown Princess is safe. Attacker is dead."
"Attacker!" Tielle exclaimed angrily. "He wasn't attacking me! He-"
"Princess," the guard interrupted her, "he was. He was an assassin."
"Sent by who? Who wants to assassin me, other than you Farearians? I don't believe it. He was here to-" Tielle broke off. "Where is Arilana? Did she escape?" Is that why they had thought to check on her? Because they had discovered the Arilana was gone?
The guard shook his head. "Not exactly."
"Where is she, then? I want to see her!"
"Fine. Come with me."
Tielle was led to Arilana's room, where dozens of people had gathered and were milling around the room. In the middle of it all were Hristen and Chayden, furiously barking out orders and listening to pages.
Tielle ran to Arilana's bed, where medics with all sorts of equipment were busily working and yelling at each other. Silent tears began to stream down Tielle's cheeks.
She elbowed her way to the bedside. "Hey! What are you doing?" Someone yelled, and she screamed back, "I'm her sister!"
Arilana laid there, her eyes closed and her face in a peaceful expression of sleep. The only thing marring her youthful image was a splotch of crimson red on her chest, seeping through her nightgown.
Tielle backed away. Medics rushed in to fill the gap where she had been, but one dashed all of Tielle's hopes when he shook his head sadly and said, "It's no use. She's gone."
Great gasping sobs erupted from Tielle then, and she turned to flee the room. A hand on her arm stopped her though, and she desperately fought it. "Let me go!" she demanded through tears, "let me go!"
"Tielle."
She stopped thrashing and looked up at Chayden.
"Are you all right?"
My last sibling was just assassinated! What do you think!
For once Tielle didn't use a sarcastic retort, however. She just looked up at Chayden, who had compassion shining in his eyes, and fell into his arms, sobbing.
