A Tale Of Time

Seven

                                                                                                                                                               Age of Ayznver

                                                                                                                                                               Year 750B

                                                                                           ARIANA

I RAN and ran and ran through the thick forest, scared out of my mind because the tall trees had stolen the light but knowing that I couldn't go back, not now when I knew...not when I knew the reason why Mama would take their side whenever we'd fight. When, on days when Papa was not around, she'd give me the smallest portion and let them sneer at me.

I was not a Hale.

I was... I was charity!

A branch tripped me and I fell, rolling and rolling and rolling till the world was down and the earth was up and the skies, slightly visible through the now parted trees was such a pretty, deep deep blue that it hypnotized me.

I never wanted to leave.

So I didn't.

"Hey!"

A voice called, cutting through the endless dark. I suddenly hated the voice. It wanted to deprive me of the fleeting peace I'd found.

"Hey! Girl! You can't sleep here!"

I opened my eyes slowly. The sky was bright blue like morning. The deep blue was gone and reality had attacked like a storm. I was unwanted by my parents, by the blue sky...

By everything.

"Girl, you okay?"

Who was that? It was a deep voice, melodic, clear and full of authority. Like all should listen.

I turned my head and met the gaze of a boy.

A beautiful boy with the eyes of the forest.

I HEARD his voice as they pulled me, mumbling things about the reward they'd receive.

Girl, you can't sleep here.

"No..."

I opened my eyes and unlike six years ago when I met a boy with green eyes, I saw two brutes, pulling me by hand like a sack of refuse through the forest. The light was brighter so we must've been at the edge. How long had we been travelling? Where were we going?

Girl, you can't sleep here.

I began to struggle.

"Hey!" One cried, so shocked by my sudden movement that his grip loosened. I took advantage of it and pulled with all my strength.

"Grab her!"

My hand popped free and I crashed -due to the momentum- against a hard tree.

Dots scattered against my vision as the second who still his grip on me pulled me up and against him.

"i***t!" He shouted at the other, "What were you thinking?"

"Sorry, Tom."

"Don't sorry me! You'd have told Boss that had she escaped." 

He slung me over his back and began to march faster. I was so tired, so ready to give up. The guilt came back in full force. Many had died for me so what right did I have to survive this? This endless cycle? Rook would make a good ruler... the people would rally around him.

The kingdom would be fine...

Vael?

"If I were to go missing, would you look for me?"

"Of course I would! I'd search forever for you."

Forever...

Forever...

Come back to me.

Girl, you can't sleep here.

I couldn't die.

I'd promised two of the most important men that I would be there for them. I couldn't break that promise.

So I kicked with all my strength. The man carrying me tried to subdue me, pushing at my back and hitting my arms and legs.

"Stupid brat! I can't hurt her! Gerard, hold her down! Hold her before she escapes!"

Another set of hands grabbed my hands and forced them together above my head and in the scuffle of everything we fell to the forest floor where they both rose like towers over me to keep me down. But I wouldn't stay. I couldn't stay down. 

I made a promise!

'Let me GO!" I screamed as one hit me across my cheek. The metallic taste blood exploded in my mouth but I didn't relent. Not even when they'd held my hands and legs and I was but a squirming child on the floor. 

And that was when I realized...

No matter how hard I tried or fought, they were stronger, faster and better...

I would never be free of them.

I would never escape.

Had Vanessa gone for help? Had she left me to die? Her gods had probably told her to abandon the heathen? Why not? They'd never done anything for me.

Nothing at all.

"Find something to tie her up. She's getting tired." Tom said to Gerard who scurried away.

I wouldn't keep my promise.

Forever.

"Vael..."

An arrow, a single silver arrow cut through the sky like a message from heaven and pierced Gerard's back so he fell like a giant tree, dead in an instant. Tom jumped back, releasing me and looking around for the attacker. I looked around also. Who was my avenging angel?

Rook?

No...

From the depths of the shadows the thicket made, a red-haired man emerged, wielding the largest bow I'd ever seen on a soldier. His eyes were singularly focused on Tom with the gaze of a predator. And I knew that Commander Knight would kill Tom.

It was written in stone.

"What's a Helirean doing there?" Tom said, voice shaky with nerves. He looked stupidly around for a weapon and seeing nothing despite there being many on his person, resulted to snatching me off the floor and against his body. I felt lifeless as I met the Commander's dark eyes. But he wasn't daunted by my being captive.

"Release the Tahara." He said calmly.

Tom tightened his grip, "Or what?"

"Or I won't kill you here," He said, lowering the bow, "Or I will bring you before the Tahjan and he will end you himself."

Tom paled all over, his grip loosened from fear and the palm around my neck was suddenly clammy. "I don't believe you."

Commander Knight raised a red eyebrow and shrugged, "Tahara, don't worry, I'll protect you."

I didn't doubt it for a second. But what I doubted was the ability of Tom listen to reason. Fear was the final ingredient in a recipe for a person on the path of doing something foolish. And Tom was afraid, so afraid he was shaking with it.

I'd known of the cruelty of the Tahjan for years, his father was notorious for boiling criminals in oil after peeling their skin off. But this one seemed calmer, no gory scenes left of execution that I'd heard off.

Or maybe there was nothing left to see.

The sudden realization about the person I had given ownership of myself to was sickening. I almost couldn't decide whose hands I wanted to die by.

"Commander-" I didn't know why I called him, maybe I wanted to try my voice out or maybe I was getting scared of the back and forth with me in the middle.

It was quick, the Commander had barely raised his bow then he fired with the efficiency of a master marksman that it hit its mark.

His forehead.

Tom dropped, taking me with him. He hadn't remembered to threaten me with any of with weapons or hadn't even tried to kill me. Maybe he knew how pointless it would be to try too.

After we landed,  my back on his chest, I immediately scrambled away from him, watching on my knees as the Commander removed the arrow from Gerard's head with the clinical precision of a physician. He didn't care that he'd killed someone with it, just that it was too bloody.

He wiped it clean with Gerard's shirt.

"Better," He mumbled, replacing it in his quiver and turned to me. I flinched involuntarily and he winced, "Sorry you had to see that. The Tahjan would not approve of his bride seeing us... operate."

He was too late if he wanted me to be a war virgin. But I didn't say so. I still didn't trust the man.

"Zachary, my Tahara, Zachary Knight. Commander of the Helirean Beserkers and Chief Adviser to the Tahjan."

I didn't return the greeting because he already knew who I was. "Why do you keep calling me your Tahara?"

He frowned,  "Because you are. Or have you reneged on your promise?"

His voice was so soft but threatening. I had always known that I would have to marry his king but to be threatened...

He suddenly brightened, "Or do you not understand that Tahara means Queen?"

I understood. But I nodded for good measure. He nodded back as though he perfectly understood.

"I should've known better. It will take you time to get used to Helirean language and way. It's okay, you'll be sufficiently taught when the time comes."

That was not my problem. I had grown up for the earlier part of my life in Helirix, albeit the outskirts but I had a general idea of its customs. He obviously didn't know that.

Vael was Helirean, even.

The idea hit me like lightening. Why hadn't I thought of it before? All Helirean boys were trained in the army for at least two years no matter their station. They were also invited to renew their skills on occasion. There was a chance he'd seen Vael at the camps.

"Um, Commander?"

"Yes," He was taking care of the arrow in Tom's head, "Do you need something?"

I was suddenly nervous. What if he'd met Vael? What would I do then? It wasn't like I could ask him to introduce me to him, it would be improper and rude to the Tahjan (because he would definitely find out) and gods knew how he handled people being rude to him. Maybe he fed them to the dogs.

I would have to find out on my own.

"How are your soldiers trained?"

He raised an eyebrow, "You don't have to worry yourself about that."

I frowned. Was that a sexist comment? Did he mean that I didn't have to be involved in the war proceedings for the kingdom? Was the Tahjan like that too? Was I to be a trophy wife, to sit there and look pretty?

I was going to be sick.

"Not that," He said, looking into the sky, "Not what you're thinking. Warriors cannot venture out on a war campaign without the Tahara's blessing. And that's the very least of her duties in the military."

"So how have you been fighting wars as your king is not married?"

I frowned. Did he have concubines or wives he divorced? Was he a mad man?

Zachary shrugged, "His sister, Her Highness, Princess Olivia does the ritual."

"Oh."

I guess that made sense.

I was about to ask him another question when his body tightened with attention and focus. I looked up and saw the sky lit with smoke. It looked so monstrous against the afternoon sky, my whole body tightened with horror.

"Rook-"

"-Is fine," Zachary continued, "It's a signal from my people. We've successfully invaded Adian."

My body relaxed with the knowledge that everything was fine. The truth was that I'd forgotten that there was a war going on with all that had happened.

"Do you want to see it?"

I turned to him, confused at his question. "Do I want to see what?"

"What is going on? By the time we get there, they'd be rounding up. We could maneuver our way into the Royal Castle and give you a tour of your palace while we defeat your enemies."

"You seem awfully confident."

"In my Beserkers?" He said with a proud snort, "I trust in them implicitly."

I found his trust reassuring and nodded that I wanted to see Ayznver for what would be my first time in my own memory.

For the first time since Rook left, I felt calm. Calm enough to address some other pressing matters.

"How... how did you know that... that I was in trouble?"

"Oh that little thing?" He brushed my question away with a wave of his free hand, "Your girl, Vanessa, was it? She found us. Poor thing was scared out of her mind."

I was grateful that she was alright. That I had saved one life.

So I looked up and saw Zachary with a calloused hand extended to me in question, "Shall we?"