Part 8
The ceilings were high and vibrant. The decorations Antar's palace was impressive to anyone who stepped in. The detail created by the millions of swarovski crystals throwing sunlight into the room in all the colors of the prism boasted of the luxury and honor that came from being born into the royal family.
Under the torment of these blinding shafts of light, Ch'ali stood. For the last few weeks she had been dizzy at the sheer beauty of the throne room. She would have preferred not being there, but a call from a royal was just that. Knowing that it was Vilandra who needed to speak with her made the command that much more peremptory.
Ch'ali did not need a seeress to know why she was suddenly summoned. Of the royals, Vilandra was the one who lived up to the name. Rath used his abilities to destroy the enemy. Zan honed his skills to help his people. Vilandra unleashed the powers she had been given control.
And last night, Vilandra showed her just how much power she had. Ch'ali had closed her eyes and created an image of Lexan. In her dreams, she stood waist-deep in the silver pool where she had last been with Lexan. The moons shone above her, fuller than they had when she had been there. In her dream, Ch'ali forced herself to forget that when she woke up at the first kiss of the sun, she was lying on the grass alone. Ch'ali had focused on the sensations of the night. She heard the rustling of the grass and felt the air around her part to accommodate his arrival.
The dream figure of the enemy king appeared, his face set in stone, his crystal eyes brilliant as he took in her form. Lexan had touched her cheek and placed a kiss on her brow. Under the blanket of silver water, she accepted him again inside her body. At that moment of complete satisfaction, when breath rushed out of her lips, Ch'ali opened her eyes and saw Vilandra looking down at them.
And now it was morning and reckoning.
The princess had no right to slip into her dreams, and more than feel betrayed, Ch'ali felt herself violated. And so the only words that she could manage were, "Stay away from my dreams, Vilandra."
The corners of the princess' lips curved. Based on what she had seen the night before, they both knew that the visit was justified. "Is this your idea of fixing things? Sleeping with the enemy?"
"What I may or may not do in my own time is my business."
"Not when you're marrying the king. I will not let you do this to Zan."
Ch'ali shook her head. "I never wanted to marry your brother, Vilandra. Tell me if you can still count the number of times I've expressed that the agreement be annulled."
"It doesn't matter now," Vilandra replied softly. "The people want you, the peasants. But Ch'ali, I cannot allow you to go to my brother with that thing inside you." The princess nodded to an attendant, whom Ch'ali did not even notice was there.
The woman, who had midnight eyes and lush black hair, stepped forward and held a pillow up to Ch'ali. Ch'ali saw the bottle lying on top and took it.
Ch'ali read the embossed letters on the bottle. "Pennyroyal?" she said in disbelief.
"Purge yourself of it or take it with you to the deserts. Either way, we find a solution now."
Ch'ali eyes narrowed. Rath was off in battle, and Zan was with him in a safer location. "You think Zan will allow you to get rid of me?"
"Look at the abortificant again, Ch'ali." It was one of the substances held under the highest security in the kingdom, because of its laws against any termination of Antarian life. "Know that the decanter would not have been released had it not been sanctioned by the king."
"Zan's entire purpose is to help preserve lives."
"You're an intelligent woman, Ch'ali. How do you think this would make him appear-his bride full of another man's child?"
"Zan and I agreed to be friends."
"For all the education you have had, Ch'ali, you neglected to study the most important things of all."
"Then take the pennyroyal back, Vilandra. Send the men who will escort me to the desert to my room."
Ch'ali could see the joy and confusion battling the primary place on the princess' face. "Neither the moons nor the sun can reach you in the desert, Ch'ali. You will not survive without them. How can you breathe?"
"Isn't that the glory of the punishment?" Ch'ali replied, walking out and leaving Vilandra to herself in the vast room.
By nightfall, Ch'ali knelt on the red sand and looked up at the barren sky. The edges of her vision were beginning to darken, and she could feel her bones melting. With every second, she felt her body growing weaker. Memories of Lexan holding her, carefully maneuvering their bodies so that her skin would be exposed to moonlight, filled her mind.
She had sworn, after seeing Rath kill his first man, that she would never use the abilities she received. Ch'ali doubted that she would even be able to use them in her current state. She had more than herself to think about now. Zan, despite what Vilandra said, Ch'ali knew loved her too much to let her die. Rath and the delicious magnetism they shared might be willing to extend a hand.
Ch'ali folded herself into a ball on the sand and with her remaining energy, sent a plea to a farther place.
The ceilings were high and vibrant. The decorations Antar's palace was impressive to anyone who stepped in. The detail created by the millions of swarovski crystals throwing sunlight into the room in all the colors of the prism boasted of the luxury and honor that came from being born into the royal family.
Under the torment of these blinding shafts of light, Ch'ali stood. For the last few weeks she had been dizzy at the sheer beauty of the throne room. She would have preferred not being there, but a call from a royal was just that. Knowing that it was Vilandra who needed to speak with her made the command that much more peremptory.
Ch'ali did not need a seeress to know why she was suddenly summoned. Of the royals, Vilandra was the one who lived up to the name. Rath used his abilities to destroy the enemy. Zan honed his skills to help his people. Vilandra unleashed the powers she had been given control.
And last night, Vilandra showed her just how much power she had. Ch'ali had closed her eyes and created an image of Lexan. In her dreams, she stood waist-deep in the silver pool where she had last been with Lexan. The moons shone above her, fuller than they had when she had been there. In her dream, Ch'ali forced herself to forget that when she woke up at the first kiss of the sun, she was lying on the grass alone. Ch'ali had focused on the sensations of the night. She heard the rustling of the grass and felt the air around her part to accommodate his arrival.
The dream figure of the enemy king appeared, his face set in stone, his crystal eyes brilliant as he took in her form. Lexan had touched her cheek and placed a kiss on her brow. Under the blanket of silver water, she accepted him again inside her body. At that moment of complete satisfaction, when breath rushed out of her lips, Ch'ali opened her eyes and saw Vilandra looking down at them.
And now it was morning and reckoning.
The princess had no right to slip into her dreams, and more than feel betrayed, Ch'ali felt herself violated. And so the only words that she could manage were, "Stay away from my dreams, Vilandra."
The corners of the princess' lips curved. Based on what she had seen the night before, they both knew that the visit was justified. "Is this your idea of fixing things? Sleeping with the enemy?"
"What I may or may not do in my own time is my business."
"Not when you're marrying the king. I will not let you do this to Zan."
Ch'ali shook her head. "I never wanted to marry your brother, Vilandra. Tell me if you can still count the number of times I've expressed that the agreement be annulled."
"It doesn't matter now," Vilandra replied softly. "The people want you, the peasants. But Ch'ali, I cannot allow you to go to my brother with that thing inside you." The princess nodded to an attendant, whom Ch'ali did not even notice was there.
The woman, who had midnight eyes and lush black hair, stepped forward and held a pillow up to Ch'ali. Ch'ali saw the bottle lying on top and took it.
Ch'ali read the embossed letters on the bottle. "Pennyroyal?" she said in disbelief.
"Purge yourself of it or take it with you to the deserts. Either way, we find a solution now."
Ch'ali eyes narrowed. Rath was off in battle, and Zan was with him in a safer location. "You think Zan will allow you to get rid of me?"
"Look at the abortificant again, Ch'ali." It was one of the substances held under the highest security in the kingdom, because of its laws against any termination of Antarian life. "Know that the decanter would not have been released had it not been sanctioned by the king."
"Zan's entire purpose is to help preserve lives."
"You're an intelligent woman, Ch'ali. How do you think this would make him appear-his bride full of another man's child?"
"Zan and I agreed to be friends."
"For all the education you have had, Ch'ali, you neglected to study the most important things of all."
"Then take the pennyroyal back, Vilandra. Send the men who will escort me to the desert to my room."
Ch'ali could see the joy and confusion battling the primary place on the princess' face. "Neither the moons nor the sun can reach you in the desert, Ch'ali. You will not survive without them. How can you breathe?"
"Isn't that the glory of the punishment?" Ch'ali replied, walking out and leaving Vilandra to herself in the vast room.
By nightfall, Ch'ali knelt on the red sand and looked up at the barren sky. The edges of her vision were beginning to darken, and she could feel her bones melting. With every second, she felt her body growing weaker. Memories of Lexan holding her, carefully maneuvering their bodies so that her skin would be exposed to moonlight, filled her mind.
She had sworn, after seeing Rath kill his first man, that she would never use the abilities she received. Ch'ali doubted that she would even be able to use them in her current state. She had more than herself to think about now. Zan, despite what Vilandra said, Ch'ali knew loved her too much to let her die. Rath and the delicious magnetism they shared might be willing to extend a hand.
Ch'ali folded herself into a ball on the sand and with her remaining energy, sent a plea to a farther place.