RECOVERY

MILES

Tarin sat on her father’s throne, listening to a case that was brought before her. Simon stood at her right-hand side, listening closely for where he needed to offer his guidance and/or direction. Tarin had proved to be really stubborn, a great deal away from what he had expected. Now, as he tried to imagine what her father did to unsettle her like that, he heard her make a pronouncement that dragged him out of his imagination into reality. “…You are hereby banished from Zorak. You return upon pain of death.” “Err…a word please”, Simon beckoned to her. “Dismissed”. Tarin ordered and the boots of the soldiers and guards that had assembled for the hearing resounded throughout the gigantic throne room as they marched out following Tarin’s order.

“Yes Simon, what is it?” She asked him. “Don’t you think it’s too early to pass sentence on the case? I mean, for all we know, the man whom you favoured could turn out to be the one telling lies.” It happened that two men were disputing over a plot of land and brought it to the palace for the king to hear them out. What was not their surprise to learn that the king had gone on a trip and in place of him, it was his daughter who came into the throne room. Both parties felt at first that the young princess was not experienced enough to take on such a matter. However, the first of them that made his thoughts known to her was visited with a severe tongue lashing – one fit for a lifetime. Tarin asked “What brought you to the palace?” “I am sorry, princess, but I think we wouldn’t mind waiting until your father gets back, then we will return with our case. The other man nodded in agreement. “Hmm. I see. What is your name?” Tarin asked the man who had spoken. “My name is Miles. Princess.” “First of all, Miles, from now on, you will address me as ‘your majesty’. Secondly, I have a feeling, Miles, that whatever is the case with the two of you, you appear to be the one at fault. Your appearance is like that of a criminal, you obviously lack manners and, from my observation, you don’t seem like one to be trusted.”

Everyone in the throne room fell silent. It wasn’t as though they were talking before, but this time, the silence was quite loud. If Miles had children, his first would probably have got a daughter or son about Tarin’s age and there she was, insulting the living life out of him. Even Simon was at a loss for words.

Miles was angry. Obviously he was, but there was absolutely nothing he could do. The throne room was filled with soldiers and guards. He began to speak. “Princess, I was only trying to…” “Call me princess one more time and you will regret it, I promise you.” Like father like you must have guessed. “Now how may I be of service to the two of you?” “Your majesty” It was the other man that spoke up. “There is this small piece of land – a very fertile land close to the north gate. Recently, this man” he nodded towards Miles who had become pale with fury, doing his best but failing to conceal it. “…This man started laying claim to the land, saying it belongs to his family.” When he was through, Tarin looked at Miles closely then asked him. “Is this correct?” “Yes it is.” Tarin stood up from the throne and glared at him. “Your majesty” Miles added quickly.

“From all indications, the land in question belongs to this man.” She pointed to the man who had narrated his own part of the story. Miles was quick to interject “But your majesty, you are yet to even hear me out.” Tarin turned to him, “I have heard too much of your insolence and arrogance and I would prefer to hear no more.” “You have no right to do this.” “Yes, I do and as a matter of fact, you are hereby banished from Zorak. You return upon pain of death.”

She had no intentions of arguing with Simon while everyone was still around, so she dismissed them and the soldiers chanted “long live the queen” at the same time as they half dragged Miles out of the throne room while he cursed everything and everyone his mind could muster up. “I don’t like him” Tarin told Simon in her defense even before he said another word as he followed her out of the throne room. “I get it, he insulted you. But you don’t just judge cases out of people’s favour and then banish them shortly afterwards on the basis that you do not like them.” She stopped and faced Simon “Look here, I don’t know what the deal is between you and my father, but I would appreciate a little space. I am trying to run a kingdom here.” She began to walk again. Simon hurried and caught up to her. ‘Okay don’t loose it Simon. Keep it together.’ He tried to comfort himself and hoped the king would get back soon because he honestly did not know how much more of what was happening he could take.

After her husband was killed, Tarin did not forgive her father. She had managed to find out that the reason her father offered for beheading her husband was a mere cover story. However, every attempt she had made to find out the actual story had repeatedly led from one dead end to another. She had thought of many ways to get back at him but many of them were irrational. She even considered running away from zorak but the thought was quickly dismissed. The king had many enemies and, amongst other things, she was still his daughter. Powerful men as well as peasants would kill to lay their hands on her as a way of getting back at her father for the unlawful executions and unfair judgments.

Now, ironically, Tarin had meted out the same treatment to Miles, who was now being escorted out of Zorak through the main gate. He was pained not only because he had been banished, but for the fact that the land in question, for which he was now banished, rightfully belonged to him and the other man knew it. He was not the one lying, if only Tarin had heard him out in the throne room.

When the soldiers dropped him off at the end of the land extension, far away from the gate that led into zorak, he stood and watched them as they walked back proudly with the crest of the king hanging over the cope attached to the armour they wore. The king was evil and his daughter was no less, Miles concluded, and he vowed to get vengeance for himself. At the moment, however, he had other things to worry about besides vengeance. How was he going to survive in the outlands? He was well aware of the monsters that prowled around and the rumour of the spiros travelling all over the west was well spoken of in Zorak.