The King's Flame

Chapter I - The red tents

Kira woke up when she felt her body jump and hit a hard surface. Before she even opened her eyes, she realized she was moving. Her head ached intensely, and as she tried to scratch her eyes she realized her hands were tied.

- Kira are you alright? - Asked Lila. She was in the cart as well, facing Kira, also with her hands tied and her face badly bruised.

- I'm fine ... - Kira replied, even though it wasn't true. She looked to the side and saw Amarna with her head down, who looked back at her and smiled sadly.

- They killed Madame Orana. - Lila said, almost crying. - I didn't see what happened to Lanaida and Guilla.

- We'll be fine, sisters. - Kira said, without knowing if what she was saying was true. – We’re going to survive this.

The path along the narrow road that cut through Edreston seemed endless. Lila said that Kira has been out for about two hours since they left the village. No soldiers, not even those in the cart with the girls, spoke to them. The whole path was done in complete silence. About three hours passed when Kira saw a red flag with black snakes stamped on it, the same snakes that were in the soldiers' armors. A dreadful sensation came over her, her heart sped up so fast she started to run out of air. Lila asked if she was alright, but Kira barely listened, just held her sister's hand tightly, digging her nails into her skin, completely terrified.

The company stopped in front of a camp of red tents. They encountered twice as many soldiers and some servants working fervently. The girls were pulled out of the cart abruptly and the men's terrifying looks hovered over them. A little ahead, some men seemed to be celebrating something. A brown-haired soldier in a silver armor appeared to be cheerfully congratulated by his companions. And Kira knew who he was - the last face she saw before being knocked out.

The girls with their hands still tied were sent to a tent, one of the simplest ones there. A chubby, middle-aged woman, dressed in shabby clothes, was inside, pounding grain into a wooden tub, when she was surprised by the soldier carrying the three girls.

- Mrs. Virrin, we brought you a little help. - Said the soldier.

- Thank the Goddess, I couldn't take care of so many soldiers alone anymore. - said Mrs. Virrin. She looked friendly and excited. - Hello, sweeties.

- See what they know how to do and whatever they don't know, teach them. We’ve sent other girls to Mrs. Nadine.

- Alright, alright. - Said Mrs. Virrin. - Thank you, sir!

The soldier left and Mrs. Virrin turned to look for something on the messy bench she had there. She turned to the girls with a knife and they seemed scared.

- Calm down, girls. We need to cut those strings, don't you think?

Mrs. Virrin cut the strings and offered the girls water and bread. She let them sit on the rug while they quenched their hunger and thirst.

- So, can I know your names? - She asked, amiably.

- My name is Lila. Those are Kira and Amarna. - Lila replied. The other two remained sulky and silent.

- Nice to meet you, Lila. Kira. Amarna. - she smiled - Lila, dear, we need to take care of this face of yours.

Mrs. Virrin seemed extremely kind and friendly. She took care of Lila's injuries and insisted on making sure Kira and Amarna were okay. The tent looked like a makeshift kitchen, full of herbs, utensils, bags of grain and flour and barrels of wine. It was a relief to be inside, out of sight of the soldiers - Mrs. Virrin herself was a comforting sight. But nothing squeezed the sisters' grip when they remembered that Madame Orana was dead, especially for Lila, who saw her being murdered by the soldiers of the black serpents.

- You girls will serve the prince. - Said Mrs. Virrin. - Do any of you know how to cook?

- I used to help our mother in the kitchen. - Amarna said timidly. - But Lanaida was the one who cooked for us.

- Mrs. Virrin, would you know if our other sisters were brought here? - Asked Lila, seeing that Amarna had started to cry.

- Oh, honey, I have no idea. I can ask when I have time. But for now, you work and keep your head down, all of you. I would hate if any of you got in trouble. Understood?

- Yes ma'am. - The three answered in unison with their heads down.

- Now, don't tell me that you two are spoiled girls who don't know how to do anything!

Lila said that she was responsible for the house and for the younger sisters and that Kira was a not very experienced healer, mostly because of her young age than her lack of skill. A group of soldiers entered the tent and deposited pounds and pounds of fresh meat. Mrs. Virrin and Amarna started to prepare the meat to be cooked on the improvised stove outside the tent, while Lila and Kira just helped.

- Mrs. Virrin, who is the prince you spoke of? - Asked Lila, while cooking. - The Jagor family crest is blue with a yellow sun, I'm sure.

- This is King Eron's army, my dear. - replied Mrs. Virrin. - The crest you see belongs to the Kingdom of Handar.

- Handar... - Kira murmured. - Why? What are they doing here?

- War is certainly something I don't want to understand, dear. - Said Mrs. Virrin. - But King Eron is a good king. As good as a king can be. His brother, Prince Nichol, is a good man too. Just don't piss him off.

- Hard to believe in their benevolence when they burned our house and killed our mother. - Amarna said, trying to contain her irritation.

- I will not blame you for your anger, my dear. - Said Mrs. Virrin. - But anger is not very useful against an army unless you have an army too. I won't ask you to be happy, just ... Stay alive to see what tomorrow holds.

Under Mrs. Virrin's warm and brutal words, the girls finished preparing the royal feast. Night had fallen and torches, fires and lamps lit the camp. Some soldiers were sitting around bonfires, laughing and talking while eating and drinking. Mrs. Virrin instructed Kira and Lila to serve dinner in the prince's tent. It was a little far away, it was the largest tent in the entire camp. When they got there, there was no one but the guard outside. They set up the table, which was set for eight, following specifically what they were told to do and stood in a corner of the tent with the wine jars they would serve during the meal. Within minutes, the knight who had knocked out Kira entered the tent, laughing, followed by other soldiers. Watching him sit at the head of the table, Kira knew exactly who he was.

The men chatted leisurely over dinner. Some soldiers commented on how good it was to not to see Mrs. Virrin's swollen face and teased the girls, who remained silent, looking at them with anger and fear. In addition, the rest of the conversation was predominantly military. Prince Nichol spoke about the attack on the Zunir Fortress, a day away from there, which they intended to undertake soon and, finally, return to the Pontal, Handar's Capital, to prepare to face the selirian army. Handar was the neighboring and rival nation of Seliria, the kingdom where the Edreston forest was located, which was ruled by King Rhestan Jagor. Almost everything beyond the Solar Mountains was Handar territory, except for two other smaller kingdoms. According to one of the soldiers, the trip to the Pontal takes over a week. Kira hadn't thought, until that moment, that it wasn't a matter of days, weeks or even months for that nightmare to be over - it would never end. Her house has been destroyed; the place she has always called home no longer exists. She was at the mercy of an unknown army from a distant land. And there was nothing she could do.

Dinner was over and the soldiers retired to their tents. Kira and Lila, exhausted from standing and pouring wine, promptly headed for the exit when the last soldier left, just as Mrs. Virrin had instructed. When they were a few steps away from finally resting, Prince Nichol's voice came from behind them:

- You stay.

Both Kira and Lila turned to him apprehensively, not knowing which one he was talking to.

- You. – Said Nichol, pointing directly at Kira.

Lila looked at her sister with apprehension and the will to intervene was stamped on her face, but she decided it was not the best thing to do. She gave Kira a concerned look and a little squeeze in her arm, a way to silently indicate that she would be waiting for her, and left the tent.

- Help me with the armor. - Nichol ordered, rising from the table.

Still apprehensive, Kira went towards him and did as she was asked. She loosened his buckles and held on to each piece of armor he was taking off, until he was left with only a pair of leather pants and a black linen shirt. The equipment was heavy and she feared she would not be able to hold it much longer. Nichol opened the partition of the tent that separated the dining table from the place where he slept and entered.

 - Put it here. - He ordered.

Kira sighted with relief and quickly put the armor on the chest he indicated. She turned to him, crossed her hands in front of her and lowered her head, expecting to be dismissed immediately. But she heard nothing a heavy silence and the sensation of his penetrating gaze on her.

- Do you have a name? – He asked.

Kira swallowed, surprised by the question, and replied:

- Kira, Your Highness.

Nichol raised his hand to her face and lifted her chin, causing her to look directly at him. His gaze was icy, unreadable, but intoxicating. That beautiful pair of blue eyes was placed on a face just as beautiful. He was a big, strong man but he kept a boyish look on his face. He had a lot of prince in every sense of the word, from beautiful brown hair to jewel-colored eyes to features so perfect they looked sculpted. He moved his hand to caress Kira's face, but she shrunk at his touch. He withdrew his fingers.

- You're not a woman yet, are you? - Nichol asked seriously. Kira shivered at the question, a question so intrepid enunciated in that deep, husky voice with a serious tone.

- No sir. - Kira replied, feeling her own heart pounding. She felt many things at that moment, but the only feeling she was able to name properly was fear.

- Go. - Nichol ordered, pointing at the exit with his eyes, as if he didn't care, but in an understanding way. - And be here in the morning.

Kira ducked her head and hurried until she was outside the tent - and then she started running. She ran to Mrs. Virrin's tent and entered as if she were fleeing a beast.

- Kira! - Lila exclaimed worried when she saw her. - Are you alright? Did he rape you?

Lila was on the verge of despair, sounding completely distressed. It was only then that Kira realized that nothing serious had happened and she had no reason to be so nervous. She took a deep breath and calmly shook her head.

- No, sister, I'm fine. - she smiled - He just wanted me to help him take off his armor.

- Thank Goddess! - Lila exclaimed, pulling her sister into a hug. She heard Amarna and Mrs. Virrin's relieved sighs. Kira hugged Lila back and smiled, relieved to know that she had her dear sister by her side in such a difficult time.

- He asked me to be in his tent in the morning. - Kira said, looking at Mrs. Virrin.

- Well, I think I finally got replaced. - she laughed - Before you girls arrived, I was responsible for the prince's tent. Now Kira will be in charge of that.

- But ... What should I do? - Kira asked.

- He must want a bath in the morning, I believe. - Mrs. Virrin replied. - Besides, just keep things in order, serve his food and whatever else he asks for. Believe me, the prince is not very demanding. You will do just fine.

Mrs. Virrin provided the girls a dinner - a duck that she hid from dinner that went to the royal tent - and a few glasses of wine to warm them up and make them sleep better. Mrs. Virrin was, of course, much more sweet and motherly than Madame Orana, who raised them with love, but with a lot of discipline and seriousness. Amarna, the second youngest of the five, cried softly until she fell asleep. Kira and Lila wanted to cry as well but both of them felt like they must be strong because they were the eldest ones. They all went to sleep hoping that everything that happened that day turned to be nothing but a bad dream.

Kira had no nightmares that night. She was in that same brightly colored forest alone, but this time she wasn't walking. She was kneeling on the floor in front of a ditch, the same ditch in which she spent nights and nights struggling in despair. She looked down and she saw the two black snakes; her heart sped up, but she wasn’t afraid to fall again. She held out her hand and both snakes started moving towards her. The one in front curled around her arm gently, as if it made sure it wasn’t hurting her, and she was not afraid. Kira raised her elbow and faced the snake's head, which seemed to be looking back at her with a large pair of blue eyes.