The Heroic Legend of
Arslan
The Worth of One's Crown

Part Two
Innocence, Lies, and Love

The long line of ladies-in-waiting, attendants, and never forget, the Royalty, stretched on and on past the borders of Eccubatana. Arslan was finding it harder and harder to greet the ladies with as much courtesy as he had at the beginning.

"Why are we last?!" A tall ebony-haired womyn at the back of the line snarled impatiently in her mistress's ear. "Did we have the farthest to come?"

"No, we just don't have a caravan of eighteen-thousand people to get us here." The shorter womyn who stood next to her, with chin-length auburn hair, commented. "My horse is dirty, so are my clothes é, I'm tired, and not in the best of moods, but if he doesn't like me now he won't like me in the morning!"

"Well put, your highness! And to tell you the truth I'm dying to see the look on the king's face when he sees us!" Lady Rezzana cheered, as her Queen took a bow.

"Where's the rest of your entourage, my lady?" Queen Kishara imitated how King Arslan might act toward her small party, and took the hand of her Sergeant at arms in a kingly manner.

"That would be me, your majesty." Lady Rezzana continued the mocking of the Empire's King Arslan. The two womyn broke into laughter as they stopped, looked and sighed at the enormous line.

Inside the great castle at the capital, Arslan was finding it hard to stay awake through all the torturous hours of the night. It had to be nearing midnight at the pace this was going.

"Daryun!" Arslan boomed as the most recent princess left the room.

"Ye !s?" Daryun answered.

"That last girl was ten! Explain yourself!"

"Your Highness, her parents insisted."

"I will not be ruining her young life like that. Have her given a room with full service and explain to her that she has nothing to fear, understand?"

"Right away, Your Highness!" He left to tell the girl and her party.

Arslan saw, through the still open door, the relief on the young lady's face and he smiled kindly. That was the highlight of his evening.

"Number 1312- Lady Tarin from Ravinia!" The great doors at the end of the room opened, Arslan rolled his eyes...again.

"Don't worry, your highness. This is the last one." Narsas reassured his king standing at his throne's side. Arslan nodded and tried to smile. Not one of the ladies had interested him, but maybe it was bec ~ause of the circumstances.

He looked up to see a stunningly beautiful blond haired womyn with brown eyes and pale skin. She seemed to float across the room. She stopped in front of his throne and Daryun helped Arslan lift his jaw off the floor.

She showed the proper respect, and with the softest voice he had ever heard she said: "Dear King Arslan, I have certainly traveled the farthest to meet you. I have waited for this moment for a long time." Arslan rose and smiled politely. He reached for her hand to raise her from her curtsy, in order to introduce himself.

"My lady Tarin I welcome yo...Ulp!" Arslan felt a cold sharp blade against his throat. She helped him up herself as she bore down more on the knife placed next to his main artery. Daryun acted immediately, his hand reaching for his sword.

"No one moves!" She screamed and noticing Daryun's actions moved out of ú his swiping range. "...or he dies!" She hissed. She put her hand over his mouth and pulled the blade closer to his beautiful white neck.

"I'm not from Ravinia, Boy. My scattered people have found new faith in god and hope with your death! Lusitainia is not deaAHHHHHHHHH...ulll..uhh.." Arslan's breathing raced and his heart skipped three beats, as the assassin let out a blood curdling screamed that echoed horridly throughout the large room. She jerked her head back violently in the process, then hit the floor in a pool of blood. The dagger lay on the floor unused.

Arslan promptly fell next to her on his hands and knees, breathing heavily. He looked up to see two womyn standing over him: one letting go of the assassin's hair as she fell, and one brandishing a bloodied broad sword.

"If not before it is now, Honey." The shorter standing womyn spat as she brushed the loose hair out of her hand.

The kguard at the back of the room who had tried to stop their entrance nervously made his announcement.

"Number 1313...Queen Kishara and Lady Rezzana of Nekotan..." Then made a hasty retreat from the room.

"Number 1313, grand!" Lady Rezzana repeated as she sheathed her sword, not caring about getting splattered blood on her already worn clothes and armor.

"Thank you, but you didn't need to kill her!" Daryun objected.

"She would have wound up dead anyway! Assaulting the king? That'll get you killed in any country!" Rezzana retorted. Daryun was silent as Narsas looked up.

"Now, I'm sure I have met every kind of womyn, tonight!" Arslan sighed.

"Not bad for your first time, your majesty." Narsas put in.

"I assume we're welcome..or did we miss a deadline or something?" Lady Rezzana stepped behind Queen Kishara to make her majesty's royal presence known.

" ÄShould I welcome myself or would you like to greet us, considering how rudely we were pushed aside at the door," Kishara stated in monotone. Arslan blushed. He stifled an innocent yawn.

"Oh..." He looked quickly at Daryun and Daryun nodded. Arslan rose. Narsas gave a unsettled expression to the scenario, and marked something on his list. "My Lady Kishara, I welcome you..." He paused hesitantly, "Your beauty is known widely and I have desired your presence..."

"You know, Young Prince," Kishara began. Arslan looked up, confused at her choice of words. "Rumors have told me of your wisdom...Your flattery is very strong and if you are as wise as they say...You should know it will get you nowhere." Kishara had to slightly look up at the twenty-one year old young man standing next to her feminine nineteen year old frame. She trembled a bit but held herself still. He looked at {her strangely.

There was a silence between them. Kishara looked into his sky-blue eyes. Her feline green eyes were definitely reading him, he was sure. Arslan brought her hand to his lips as she watched him. The room watched the scene unfold as Narsas clapped his hands loudly.

"All right! It's over! The princesses have been shown to their quarters, the King is finished seeing them, the all the dead bodies have been moved, I think we should call it a night!" He moved toward the two, obviously upset that Arslan's lips had not left Kishara's hand yet. The two newly-introduced royals looked up, tired with him already.

"It's a night." They chorused. Narsas blinked. Kishara and Arslan looked at each other, and began to laugh. Narsas didn't appreciate their joke.

"I thought you were tired, your majesty?" Daryun spoke up. Arslan nodded as he unconsciously rubbed his ˇ eyes.

"Yes, it is late. Yet," he paused and looked back at Kishara who was covering a yawn herself. He smiled warmly at her, and she gave him a proud look back. He turned to Daryun. "I'd like to show Queen Kishara to her rooms."

"King Arslan, the guards will take care of that." Narsas insisted. Rezzana glared at him.

"The guards have already shown us their hospitality." Rezzana walked behind Arslan and Kishara as they proceeded to the prepared quarters.

Narsas just sighed, disgusted. Daryun looked at him.

"What?"

"That!" Narsas pointed. "She's a child Queen. She inherited the throne at fifteen, when her father was assassinated. Can't say she was very sorry, they weren't that close. Anyway, she'd never give up her power. She'll give the king a headache before she gives him any power in that relationship!"

"Why Narsas, that's the most stereotypical comment I've ever heard coming from you!" Daryun looked after the three. "You don't know she's like that. She could be a very good queen i ˙n her country."

"Oh, I know she is."

"The problem is...what then?"

"Her mother died in childbirth, it was widely known. Also, her father was greedy and cold hearted. He loved his daughter, but he valued power and possession a bit more. Kishara was brought up a 'military princess'," Narsas paused, "you know daughters of royalty who learn about the sword before they learn to walk?"

"I know I know." Daryun confirmed.

"Well, she's like that because her father wouldn't hire a nanny like Arslan's m other. She played with her military force like playmates. She met her lady-in-waiting then. She's the daughter of Kishara's general, and now that daddy's gone she holds official rank." Narsas almost laughed at the strangeness of rumors that flew around Queen Kishara.

"You were referring to Rezzana, weren't you?" Daryun quickly put in. Narsas trailed off and looked oddly at his friend.

"Yes...Rezzana, her sergeant. Any way she was her only and closest friend, and as I hear irrepressibly loyal. One more thing,...Last time I heard, she was engaged to someone." Narsas clipped his story short.

"Engaged? Then why does she desire Arslan's hand?" Daryun wondered.

"I think this little independent child monarch has had a crush on our king for a long time. I think she i s in love with him." Narsas sneered

"She's doing a very good job of hiding it." Daryun agreed with Narsas, even though he couldn't sense from Kishara.

"He seems to like her... Ah well, I'll have to make my revisions early next morning before the king awakes." Narsas yawed. Daryun looked cross.

"I don't think you should be tampering with Arslan's newly created love life. I mean you, who spent the last couple of years locked up in the country drawing." Daryun scoffed at Narsas's previous living style.

"You ignorant pig! I don't suppose you want to correct his majesty's mistakes? You, who has never seen a womyn with the intention to..."

"You don't need to finish your sentence, my dear friend." Daryun glared. Narsas was getting a lot of this tonight.

"You know that's not what I was referring to!" Narsas pleaded.

"I disagree with you and your 'list' as you put it. All these womyn are here to see Arslan, and if he finds his true love among them, then...then..."

"Then?" Narsas waited.

"So mote it be!" Daryun gave his blessing in a militaristic tone. Narsas rolled his eyes.

"Maybe...But what if it comes with the most trouble Pars has ever seen, Daryun?" Narsas gave his friend a meaningful look hinting at the womyn that Arslan had walked off with. Daryun was silent and made a serious face. They both glanced toward the dark hall that the small party had taken. Then they retired for the evening.

"Thank you for guiding us to our room, Young Prince." Kishara released his arm and headed for the door. He stopped her with another touch to the shoulder. Rezzana was sure she heard th qe other royalty listening in. She growled and swore she heard a door shut down the hall.

"Thank you. For my life." He laughed once, she smiled. "I would ask a question of you..."

"Yes, Young Prince?" She said turning to face him fully, her red and violet twisted skirt exposing more purple color with the swing motion. She tugged on the salamander-shaped figure on her earring as he spoke.

"Why do you call me that? I know I have not proved nor ever will prove myself in the eyes of some, but I have fought for my title! Also, you call me 'young prince' though you are three years my junior."

She paused, smiled a bit, then made her face serious and took a dominant stance with her slender figure. She positioned her blade at her side so the big battle sword didn't cut her dress.

"Arslan, Dear King. It is not you, or your transcendent war record. I've not known yo ˙u these past years. I only know the young-fourteen-year-old prince who passed through my country on your ride to take Eccubatana back.

"I know your wisdom and courtesy from then also. I know you from the peak of your fame, when you won back everything rightfully yours, while your kindness and integrity were never stolen. You may be a fellow ruler, but a stranger and a mystery." She finished, her eyes still on his. His face was serious.

"I see, my lady, I'm sorry for the trouble this evening, and for the trouble it took to get here on such awkward grounds." He bowed. She held the door open as she stood half in the room and half out. "My general, Daryun, and strategist, Narsas, insisted."

"I understand, Young prince...I understand completely." She smiled motioning to close the door.

"No, no." Arslan stopped her.

"What?" She looked up. He was smiling boyishly.

"Call me: King."

"Oh...I'm sorry, King."

"Only until I earn such a title, as 'Young Prince'." He grinned pulling the perfect lily that had decorated his cloak all evening.

"But surely King is a higher title!" She spoke, watching him.

"I have forgotten who I am in recent weeks. I must earn your respect and that title. That name is your name for me and I most definitely do not deserve it now," he finished, coming closer to her. Her heart beat faster. He attached the flower to the top of her red dress. She blushed.

"Arslan, you have all my respect!"

"So you say, but that's not all I desire to earn." He kissed her hand gently. She looked calm and collected at him. She looked up through her eyelashes, her face slightly questioning. "I'd be honored if you would have dinner with me tomorrow night at the banquet. You are the most interesting person I've met, and you are also a stranger and mystery. Will you join me, Princess?"

"Yes, I'd love to join you. Good night." She spoke softly as he turned and walked away. She closed the door swiftly and quietly. She sighed loudly.

"FATE...FATE...FATE...F-A-T-E... „.FAH-ATE!" Rezzana chanted, knowing all too well her friend's crush.

"Shut up." Kishara chucked a pillow at Rezzana's head.

"Why would he call you 'princess'? Does he know you were at his coronation ceremony when you were eleven and he was fourteen?" Rezzana asked. "Is that why? Did he say anything to your father on that balcony where they handed him his crown?"

"I don't think so. He was too young, and if he did I don't remember." Kishara folded down her bed sheets. Rezzana was full of questions.

"I think he likes you!" She giggled.

"I don't know anymore, Rezzana." Kishara sighed. "I finally have him...here. Yet..." Kishara plopped down on the silky white sheets. She held her pillow close to her chest.

"What?" Rezzana's face looked worried. "Is there a problem with him loving you as you love him? It's only a matter of time now you know, if you're worried he won't!"

"No, it's not that...It's when the other, well, forget that right now. I thought he was th Òe only on who could save me. He could give my warrior's heart a home." Kishara laughed at herself. "I thought I was a warrior for denying...never mind. Now, I don't think I could live on a golden throne and watch my husband rule my people."

"I see," Rezzana sounded sorry. "You can't love him? Not anymore? After all those times we stayed up late talking about your wedding?" She tried to get Kishara to smile.

"It's different now. I have my land and if that happens it will be his and I will be a possession!"

"I hardly think Arslan will do tha..."

"But will it matter if he does of not? I need freedom. Ruling alone allows me to travel and roam with the military." She fingered her amethyst ring which matched the design of her sword hilt. "I'll die on the throne, he can't understand! It will all change."

They were both silent as a harsh wind blew through the window. The lights blew out. Rezzana attempted to relight a candle near them...

"Things change, Kishara, things change."