The Courier's Conflict

Chapter 3

2

AFTER THREE MONTHS OF living in the palace, Rasha still hadn’t learned how to get up with the sun like everyone else.

The morning after the battle she was awakened by a rapping on the door. She groaned. After a couple of half-hearted attempts, she managed to poke her head out from under the thick blankets. The knocking persisted, and Temi growled in annoyance. Once he’d growled at the sun on her behalf when she wasn’t ready to get up.

“Princess. The council has gathered. They’re waiting for you.” When the door opened a crack, Temi lunged, and it closed with a bang.

Rasha sighed. She yawned and looked at her communicator to check the time. The message light flashed frantically for attention. She ignored it as she had since taking on the role of princess incumbent. She was late—it was close to half past the hour. She figured she might as well skip the whole thing.

The next person who came to the door didn’t knock. Rasha’s hand went to the knife she kept between the bed and the frame. As the door swung open she threw the knife. It stuck in the door, quivering at head height. She pulled the blankets back up, and Jak strolled in with one eyebrow raised. He pulled out the knife and closed the door behind him. Temi, moved away from the door and did nothing more than rub his head against Jak’s leg as he passed. Jak gave him a pat and moved to sit on the edge of her bed.

“Sleeping late, are we?” He clucked his tongue at her and shook his head. “Lousy aim, but I trust you slept.” He put the gem-studded gold knife on the table beside her.

Rasha groaned.

“I’m tired.”

“I know.”

“I’m not even dressed yet.”

“You’ll want to be. They frown on that kind of thing in the council chambers,” Jak said, grinning as he leaned back across her legs, pinning her there.

“Isn’t one locked up princess enough?” she asked. She started inching away, keeping the blankets up to her chin.

Rasha slid out a tentative foot and touched the floor. “Oh!” She hurriedly pulled it back under the blanket.

“Come on now, you can’t have it both ways. Either you’re coming out or I’m coming in there after you.”

He pounced on her, trapping her under his weight.

“Get off!” Rasha said. “You need to lay off the dessert tray.”

“But the caramels are so good.” He nibbled her ear, making her squeal.

Another knock at the door, and Temi growled.

“Coming,” Jak singsonged in falsetto.

“That doesn’t even sound like me.” Rasha gave him a knee to the rib, and he got off of her.

“Thank you, Princess,” The voice behind the door replied.

Jak laughed as she rolled her eyes.

“Get out.”

“I’ll wait in the hall, but if you’re not out in five minutes, I’m coming back. And I’ll dress you myself if I have to.” Jak winked and moved to the door.

“You can try, but you’ll be pulling my knife out of a major organ.” Rasha flashed him a smile and wriggled her throwing fingers at him.

He closed the door behind him, and she leapt from the bed. Rasha was dressed and ready five minutes later. Jak was leaning against the wall, waiting.

“Oh.”

“What?”

“I like when you do that to your hair, it looks good pulled up.”

“Whatever that means.” She ignored his open appraisal and the flutter of her heart as she walked away.

He’d let his facial hair grow into a patchy beard, and it was strange to see him so changed. She couldn’t decide if it suited him. He looked a little wiser and older. She’d be eighteen herself in a couple of months, but she didn’t feel like it mattered. When they made her the princess incumbent and pinned their hopes of defeating the beasts and saving the kingdom on her shoulders, girlish pleasures seemed insignificant.