Book One, page 24
Their silence confirmed it all and Ren rubbed his hands over his face vigorously. Now that he knew the truth it was so obvious. Braahn and Khael’s names should have triggered his memories, but for some reason they had not. Maybe it was because of the way the family dressed and presented themselves and how they’d miraculously appeared in Brongarin out of nowhere. He’d visited the magnificent capital and palace with his parents only once when he was younger, and the Cai’rin’s children were also quite young at the time—although he remembered meeting Khael. Ren had planned to go with his fah’af on his next trip to Malkhyrin to be introduced to Ahloren as the heir to Abronis and consequently the next in line to serve her and the princess after his fah’af. But what staggered him the most was that the princess had found him and saved him and now he was in love with her. That was the true miracle. Kurrn above!
Khael placed his hand over the knife on his belt meaningfully and Ren didn’t fail to notice. “You are correct, J’en Hah’nen. That is who we are. You must therefore understand that I am willing to do anything to protect my family and prevent this knowledge from reaching the wrong people. Keisi’s survival must remain a secret until the time is right.”
Ren raised his hands, palms out. His shock had dissipated and calm had returned. “You have no need for threats, Hah’nen,” he said. “My people have served the Vindor’hiens faithfully for centuries with great pride and honour. You know this.”
“I do,” Khael said, his tone still hard.
“Then you should also know that the last thing I would do is dishonour you and cause you and your family any harm by bringing danger to your door.”
Ren’s hard gaze matched Khael’s and there was steel in his voice that Khael appreciated. After he nodded once in acknowledgement, Ren walked over to him and knelt at his feet.
“I, Rensin dei Pal’din, hereby swear fealty to Khaeri Vindor’hien, Cai’rin dei Theras and Su’wah Am’ru, and to Khael, Braahn, and Jarath Vindor’hien, my pri’san’i, and I pledge my life to protect you and serve you with all my heart, body, and mind. Do you accept?” The pledge wasn’t necessary as his fah’ had already given it to Ahloren, but Ren needed to make Khael aware of his personal commitment and allegiance to his family.
Khael was surprised by the prince’s willingness to kneel before him and make such a promise when there was some underlying tension between them, although the fault lay with him and not with Ren. He grudgingly admitted that the man had honour and a good heart, even though he showed way too much interest in his sister. He looked at Aa’rel and saw her wearing a big smile, so in a loud, princely voice he said, “Rise, Pri’san Rensin dei Pal’din. I accept your pledge and welcome it on behalf of my s’arir. We need you, Ren, especially Keisi.” Kurrn, that last part was hard to say. The words wrenched a chunk from his heart the same way a sharp knife would.
Ren stood and bowed low. He was surprised to hear Khael admit that Keisi needed him and felt a grudging respect for him. “I am honoured by your acceptance and will be your man unto death,” he declared with feeling. He then turned to Aa’rel and bowed to her, too. “Now I know why you and Jae’el are not Therasins. If I remember my history lessons correctly, you are the pri’san and pri’anes of Verai, and your fah’af is Korin Beloruuis, the High Seat, and kum’ri to Ahloren’s children and the b’iera of Briin.” Aa’rel nodded with a smile. “Then I also pledge my fealty to you and Jae’el, Pri’anes. I am indeed in excellent company.”
“You are,” Aa’rel replied. “But please don’t forget that you are also a pri’san and deserve the same respect, dear Ren.”
“Tau’k ‘en.” He looked back at Khael. “If I may ask, Hah’nen, where is your b’iera, Pri’san Jarath Vindor’hien?”
Khael’s face pinched with sorrow. “He died in Malkhyrin during the invasion, along with our mae’im.”
“It pains me deeply to hear that,” he said sincerely. The small royal family had taken huge losses already and the war had just begun. No wonder they were in hiding. I’m in love with the Cai’rin. Kurrn above! he said to himself as he looked down at Keisi with awe, and imagined his parents smiling with joy and more than a little amusement in Heaven. He slipped his arms under her and carefully picked her up. No wonder she is so damaged of spirit and mind, he thought. She had to flee her destroyed city after receiving the Sword of Heaven very suddenly from her mae’im and then leave her and Jarath unburied.
The love and reverence in Ren’s eyes were glaringly obvious to Aa’rel and she knew with a deep knowing that the two of them would spend the rest of their lives together—wherever that may be. She then looked down at Braahn and felt something much deeper for him than she’d ever expected and a happy fluttering filled her belly.
“Where can I put her?” Ren asked.
“Over here,” Khael called out from where he’d gathered a thick bed of leaves together before throwing a blanket over them. Ren lay her down and placed another blanket over her with a tenderness Khael did not miss. “I’ll also need your help with my brother and Jae. Let’s unpack the horses first so I can make their beds. It’s nearly dark.”
“How long will she sleep?” Ren asked as he accompanied Khael to the horses.
“I’m not sure. She’s only been in possession of the Su’wah for a few months so there’s no way of knowing. I’d say about a day or two.”
The men finished with the horses then made beds for the two unconscious men while Aa’rel prepared a large firepit in the centre of the clearing, lit the fire, and started preparing their food. Ren took a moment to look at where Braahn and Jae’el had been slashed by the cats and was amazed to see only light scars. Usually, wounds like theirs left horribly puckered skin, even after the best healers had seen to them; Ren knew this from experience as a warrior.
His fah’ and mae’ had told him many times about their proud family history serving the Sword Bearer, blessed of Kurrn, and Ren was suddenly overcome by a powerful sense of destiny. It had not taken him long to realise how in love with her he was, and the irony that she happened to be the Sword Bearer was not lost on him. He truly regretted that his parents were not alive to see it. Then again, if the invasion had not happened, Keisi would not have had any reason to travel to Abronis. They might have met in an official capacity in either Malkhyrin or Brongarin at their respective ascensions to king and High Queen, and there might or might not have been an attraction. However, feeling the way he did right now, he could easily imagine that this divinely orchestrated love would have found a way to bring them together eventually.
By the time the horses were fed and watered, the beds made, and food was sizzling and boiling over the fire, it was the sixth evening hour. The sun had set and the weather remained pleasant with only a mild bite on the soft breeze. The two cousins and the newly sworn in protector of the Cai’rin sat around the blazing fire and Aa’rel dished up the simple fare of meat and vegetables. It was demolished without much talking as they were rather ravenous after their highly stressful day. Aa’rel was of the opinion that her brother would be awake by morning and possibly even Keisi, but that Braahn would need to recover for at least another day. Khael accepted this news with a slow nod. He hated the delay, but they didn’t really have a choice. As soon as Braahn was well enough, however, they’d need to move on and reach their end destination, because the longer they stayed out here in the wilderness, the greater the chances that the Draks would eventually spot them.
For the first time since being on the road Khael suggested they forgo a watch. It was very unlikely that the Draks knew about the precarious path and Ren agreed. Sleep came quickly with full bellies and a warm fire, and all three slept deeply without dreaming. By morning hope renewed itself when Jae’el awoke a short while after them and asked Aa’rel for water and food. He was tired, he told his tearful sister, but otherwise fine, and her long, fierce hug made him chuckle.
Around the twelfth hour it was Keisi’s turn to wake up, and this time it was Ren who rushed to her side to help her sit up and drink plenty of water while Aa’rel got her something to eat. Khael did not stop her and she was grateful.
Jae’el’s tender hug brought Keisi to tears. “Tau’k ‘en for saving my life, k’resi,” he whispered in her ear, and she didn’t let go of him for quite a while.
Ren spent the rest of the day beside her while she dozed and fetched food and water when she asked for it. Braahn did not wake until the evening’s seventh hour and then it was only to have a few sips of water before passing out again.
Khael kept his distance from Keisi but noticed her looking at him every now and then as though she was contemplating something. Unfortunately, there was no reason to expect things to be any different between them as he’d basically forced her to heal Jae’el and Braahn. To keep busy, he helped Ren replace the longbow arrows then put the things they no longer needed in neat piles ready to load back onto the horses when Braahn was strong enough to travel. Jae’el was almost back to full strength already, and it filled Khael with pride that his sister had demonstrated such ease controlling the Sword’s healing power. If only she would recognise what she had and who she was then maybe she would be more willing to accept the Sword, especially after she’d experienced the joy of using its power. He’d seen it in her face when she was surrounded by Kurrn’s light and His power had flowed through her. She’d looked like his Khaeri again.
Keisi slept beside Braahn for the night and came awake early in the morning when he stirred. The weather was overcast and cold and tendrils of mist eerily wound their way through the tall trees above them. She helped him sit up and wrapped her blanket around him before getting up to fetch water. He emptied the waterskin, and when he was done, she placed her hand against his cheek and forehead to feel his temperature.
“K—”
“Be still,” she signed, and once she was satisfied that he didn’t have a fever and there was no need to wake up Aa’rel, she signed, “Hungry?”
Braahn nodded, but grabbed her hand to prevent her from leaving. He unfortunately remembered falling and hitting the ground hard and hearing his bones break before losing consciousness. Then at one point, he’d seen a vague image of Jae’el leaning over him and telling him to lie very still, and he remembered a terrible stench and loud hissing and growling before he’d passed out again. He also recalled the feeling of dangling in the air, but after that he had no more memories. Waking up to drink water some time later, he’d had the presence of mind to know that he felt no pain, and looking at the faint scars on his leg this morning it was obvious how he was still alive: His brave, beloved Keisi had healed him with the Sword.
“Please stay a moment.” She lowered her head and bit her bottom lip. “Tau’k ‘en, mes’ de’in,” he whispered, and opened the blanket to invite her in for a hug. He wrapped it around her and their combined body heat made them instantly warmer. “I know what you did, s’arir. I never would have made it without you, you know.” He kissed the top of her head and her arms slipped around him and held him tight. “I’m so sorry you had to do it. If there had been another option I would’ve taken it.” She looked up at him with sad, wet eyes and he saw how much she loved him, and then she did something that filled him with hope. “Ei de’il ‘en,” she whispered, then buried her face into his chest.
They were found like that a few minutes later by a shivering Aa’rel. “What’s up?” she mouthed silently, and pulled her blanket tighter around her.
Braahn smiled at the woman he was having very pleasant feelings for of late, and whispered, “She told me she loved me.”
“You mean signed, don’t you?”
Braahn shook his head. “Noi’, I mean told me. Didn’t you, mes’ de’in?”
Keisi nodded in the affirmative and tears of happiness and relief flowed freely, making his shirt damp. Having him here, so warm and alive, had been worth facing her fears to heal him.
Ren heard the low voices and came groggily awake to look across the clearing. Braahn and Aa’rel were sitting side by side and a small, curious mound was hidden under Braahn’s blanket. It moved and the blanket shifted and he identified Keisi’s dark hair sticking out the top and her boots visible below. She had finally allowed someone to get close enough to give her comfort and it looked like she was taking full advantage of it. By Aa’rel and Braahn’s expressions, they were very happy about it, too.
He’d made a decision last night before falling asleep that he would stay as close to her as she allowed and defend her with his life as his parents would expect him to. Even if she never returned his affections, he would not leave her side. Oh, he hoped and prayed to Kurrn every night that she would eventually reciprocate, but for now it was enough that he was in her presence. She had handled the cats with a warrior’s strength, skill, and focus normally only attained after years of training, and it confirmed to him that she was a natural warrior. Of course, the Sword of Heaven also gave her a huge advantage in physical and mental endurance and intelligence. This he’d first learned from his fah’af, who’d told him about the cunning and political brilliance of Ahloren Vindor’hien and that he believed it was the power of Kurrn that made her an excellent, incomparable leader and somewhat intimidating to have in one’s presence.
Since she’d woken up from the healing, he’d noticed her casting furtive glances his way and wondered if she was worried about what he thought of her now. But she shouldn’t be. He looked forward to being alone with her again so that he could reassure her that nothing had changed between them and that he was very proud of her. Just as his love would never falter, neither would his loyalty to her and her brothers. He didn’t think she was the kind of person to demand he bow and scrape to her; it simply wasn’t who she was. However, he’d do it if she asked, and he smiled at the thought of him on his knees before her while she looked down at him with a cheeky grin.
Khael had arisen at dawn to go hunting with one of the shortbows, and by the time he arrived back at about the seventh morning hour, carrying three plump rabbits and four flussi birds, everyone was awake and in a jovial mood by the sound of it. He saw them through the trees around the roaring fire wrapped up in blankets and he slowed to hear what they were talking about. Braahn was telling them a crude and very explicit tavern joke—the very thing their mae’ would frown upon had she been there—and he almost rushed to tell his brother to stop because their very innocent sister was listening with wide eyes and mouth agape. But when he hit the punch line, they all burst out into raucous laughter and Khael was surprised to hear a hoarse cough from Keisi. She was blushing furiously and had hid her face in her hands, but it warmed his heart to see her smiling again. He walked into the camp with long strides, and when everyone saw him, they grew quiet and Keisi quickly got up and walked over to the horses with her head down.
He sighed quietly, and said, “Don’t stop on my account. It sounds like you’re having fun.” He dumped the rabbits and birds beside the fire and gave his brother a smile. “It’s good to see you up, b’iera. Do you feel rested?”
“I do,” he said, “thanks to our s’arir. You’ve been busy.”
Ren picked up the rabbits and he and Khael proceeded to skin, pluck, and gut the animals before Jae’el spitted and positioned them over the fire. They decided to light a second fire to cook everything at the same time and the meat was soon sizzling above the flames and releasing delicious aromas that made their stomachs grumble.
Less than an hour later, everything was ready and their mouths salivated in anticipation of the feast. Khael began cutting strips of meat off the first rabbit while Aa’rel lined up the bowls to be filled, and as usual there were only five. Keisi sat on her bed hugging her legs and stared longingly at the fire-roasted meat sending torturous smells her way. Khael had allowed her to eat to gain strength after the healing, but now that she was back to normal she knew he would revert to his old ruling until she gave him what he wanted.
Braahn signed to Aa’rel to hand him another bowl, and he then went to kneel in front of Keisi with his back to the others and leaned in close and whispered something in her ear. Aa’rel, Jae’el, and Ren watched curiously, but Khael remained oblivious while he cut the meat and distributed it. Keisi vigorously shook her head and cast furtive glances over Braahn’s shoulder at Khael, but after he said a few more words to her, she took the bowl from him and stood up, and the family watched in tense silence as she nervously approached Khael with Braahn beside her for courage.
For the last week leading up to the incident with the za’cus cats, she had continued to survive by eating berries and the food that Ren and her family had snuck her way when Khael wasn’t looking. The secret mutiny had gone completely unnoticed as each family member thought they were the only ones doing it, much to Keisi’s amusement. Along with her occasional successes at snagging flussi birds and rabbits, it had kept her from starvation, and for that she was deeply grateful, but it had fed her stubbornness, too—something they were definitely not aware of.
What Braahn had just asked her to do scared her, not because she feared Khael would say no—she expected that absolutely—but because of what he’d expect from her afterwards: total obedience and submission to his leadership. Braahn had asked her to not necessarily betray her stance but to give Khael what he wanted in order to effectively lead and protect their family. When he had put it like that, she’d realised that she didn’t mind capitulating so much. But she made promise to herself that if Khael began to manipulate her in any way again, it would be the end of her subservience.
Khael looked up at her with raised eyebrows and the siblings stared at each other for a long time while the others held their collective breaths. Khael looked at the bowl and then back at her and she watched his eyes closely. If there were any signs of arrogance or even a hint of stubbornness, she would leave and never try this again, no matter how much Braahn begged her. However, she was surprised to see him watching her calmly, which told her that he was waiting for her to make the first move.
