The Curse of Thir
Chapter 28

Her feet had been weighty as she retraced her steps back to Naveens room. It had been two hours since Seth had left her on the bench but she had found the lack of companionship refreshing in the sense that her mind required time to shut down and any person who found themselves to be in her company at that time would’ve found her unresponsive.

When she entered the room she found a happy looking Naveen sitting on the edge of her bed reading heavy red leather bound book. She looked up and smiled, placing the book beside her, she got up and embraced Xylee who gave into it and hugged her tightly back.

“I’m always so happy when you come back Xylee.” She pulled back still holding her smile.

“Can’t go far can I?” She held up the necklace and smiled at her own little joke. Naveen didn’t replace it funny and slapped her lightly on the arm.

“Don’t joke like that.” She walked to her dresser where a bowl of fresh fruit stood, Xylees main source of food, and picked up a healthy looking peach. “Hungry?” Xylee shook her head, she’d found it hard to keep food in her stomach the past few days.

Naveen bit into the peach and flinched.

“... that’s so sweet.” She coughed a few times but took another bite and was delighted to replace it remained the same. “By the way Xylee, Clanece is going to make the proposal official tomorrow after you necklace is removed. He thought that adding some more good news onto tomorrow’s agenda would fit well.” She twirled about; she’d been wearing dresses lately and had been acting in a more princess like manner since Clanece had asked to court her. Xylee found her heart in her throat, as if it were an uncomfortably stuck piece of fruit.

“Do you love him?” She blurted it out before she could stop herself or lose her will.

“What?”

“...do you love him?”

“I like him well enough, and he is handsome.”

“You said you’d choose someone you loved.”

“Well yes, out of the selection I have I’d like to choose somebody I’d love.”

“That’s not what you said. You said love is key.”

“I can learn to love him. Where is this coming from Xylee? It almost feels as if you are accusing me of something.”

“You are going back on your own word. So yes I am accusing you. You’d said you’d choose someone you loved amongst your suitors.”

Naveen looked shocked at Xylees brazen words.

“Well amongst those that have come to ask to court me, Clanece is the only one I could possibly see anything happening with.”

“You said nothing would happen with him.” Xylees eyes shut tightly as her voice rose and her confession neared her lips.

“I didn’t think it could a possibly be an option!” Naveen matched Xylees tone; she was beginning to get upset with her.

“So you don’t love him?”

“Not yet! But I will one day after we are betrothed.” She scrunch her eyes in confusion and walked quickly to the door. “I’ll give you some time to calm down Xylee, your attitude towards me is odd, and I replace myself in a great dislike of it....” She was almost at the door.

“... pick me....” Xylees face burnt red as she looked at the furry floor.

“..excuse me?..” Naveen looked over her shoulder at this strange girl standing in her bedroom, confessing things that shouldn’t be.

“You can pick me.”

“What?”

“You like me more than him... I know you do. So pick me.” Her eyes burnt with tears she refused to release. “Please.”

She had no words for Xylees declaration and simply left her standing in the centre of her room.

Cheeks flushed red and tears streaked down her neck as she stomped furiously down the hall. At first the guardsmen had attempted to question the source of her tears and anger but she brushed them aside and carried on. Her father hadn’t lessened the amount of guards yet, which increased her fury as she stormed down the stairs being followed by the clanking of armour. She slammed head first into Claneces lithe body.

“Princess!?”

“Not now Clanece!” She shoved past him and ran, not knowing her direction or reason.

’She doesn’t have the right... she mustn’t say... anything like that, why did she have to say that to me!’ Her anger confused her as she sped past Seth and a small troop of men and women. Master Lemoine had returned with the last ingredient.

Lemoine looked at the fleeing Princess and shook his head, much seemed to have happened since he had left.

Naveen raced out the door and headed to the stables. Her chestnut mare whinnied as she saw Naveen grab the saddle, which she hastily placed over her back. She was done before the guards had reached the stables and galloping in the direction of the main gate before they could stop her. Her hair whipped and stung her face but she sped past the men’s training encampment. How would she get out of these walls? The gate remained closed unless an official request was made from either side of it. But as luck had it, Joshua was entering the castle grounds with a fresh delivery of milk and in a blur of fine dress and black hair she whizzed past his cart, turned left and headed for the Kings Hunting Grounds.

“...sorry...” she half shouted half whispered to herself as the trees formed a haze of foliage beside her.

Xylee stood for a few moments in shock at what she had just declared. She felt as the princess moved quickly away, the necklace giving a gentle tug as a reminder of her position in life, no matter what any human, royal or not ever said.

“I shouldn’t have said anything... damn it all to Null!” She sprinted out the door following the strong scent of roses and the pull of the necklace.

She quickly made it to the stables, a few of the horses had already been taken and the rest complained bitterly at being left behind. Dander chewed methodically on some straw mostly uninterested in the commotion, but upon seeing Xylee gave a snort in greeting.

He was quickly saddled and galloping towards the main gate, Xylee egged him on as she sniffed the air and smelt the bustle of panic as she neared it; the guard’s men had already taken to the same road as the princess and were in pursuit.

“Holt! I’m not letting anybody else through here, aside from the guards.”

The angry gate keeper folded his arms and blocked Dander from moving forward.

“Now I don’t know what’s going on, ’cause nobody tells me nothing, but I’m not letting another person through her save the guards, they’ll get the Princess back. Understand girl?”

Xylee shifted Dander to the right then left attempting to get around the man; the gate stood only partially open so this made her attempt fruitless.

“Sir, please I beg you. Let me through. I need to stop her... I need to.... I must speak with her, I must apologies. It’s my fault she left like that.” Her confession fell on more than the guards ears.

“So it was you, yes?” Clanece followed by four guardsmen stopped beside her, Xylee looked away from him, she felt ashamed and angry. He glared at her. “Let us through here gate man. I am to replace the weeping beauty and bring her back.” His self importance was amazing and she gapped at him. The gatekeeper moved aside and the guardsmen followed along the same path the princess took. Clanece waited to follow, but before he left he spoke to Xylee.

“I am glad I listened to that big woman, Naveens hand maiden, she had many words for you and I see some to be true yes? When my princess and I are wed I shall replace away to rid her of you.” He whipped harshly on the horses reigns, and left with a wicked smile.

There was a loud grunt of disliking from the gatekeeper.

“The princess marry that lout? I’d have thought the King would of chosen better. It’s all about social climbing and standing and power if you ask me.” He turned to face Xylee, waggling his finger. “Now if it’s really your fault you should fix it and maybe show the princess what a stuck up little Eltan-ant, ’scuse my Fot-ak, that man is at the same time.” Xylee didn’t move and just stared at the old man with the wide mouth. “Don’t just stare girl, get going.”

With that she nodded in thanks and rode off out the gates following the smell of men and roses. That is until the smell separated and the necklace pulled lightly towards the forest.

Being a Princess never left Naveen with time to be truly alone, so sitting next to the babbling stream in between the tall trees of the forest with no one besides herself came as a huge shock to her normally composed self. Her breathing caught a few times a she tried to calm herself.

’Why did I run?’

This was the main thought for which she held no answer she wished to voice. Her heart took to faltering every millisecond, but eventually replaceing her breath she closed her eyes and listened to the stillness of the forest. She was surprised she had so easily escaped her pursuers, perhaps she should do more things spur of the moment, then maybe she could be truly alone with Xylee for awhile.

’..no.. I don’t need to be alone her.’ She shook her head and dislodged a memory she never fully realised.

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She’d been in the shadows, watching her father rule, silent and bored of the life she’d been living. When in stepped that awful Dreag followed by two prisoners and that stupid Duke Ruiter and his nasty daughter Delvessa who she hadn’t seen in two years.

Everything had been vaguely interesting till the boy had spat out the piece of cloth, she had laughed and had to show herself.

She remembered putting on her normal royal mask of self absurdity pretending to be interested and staring at the cloaked prisoner. There was something odd about that one, perhaps it was an allure of mystery that drew her eyes, the defiance in the small actions or a magnetic pull, she didn’t know. But as soon as the hood was down and the girl with the horns lifted her head revealing those breathtaking eyes and the pained look of expectance, she felt something stir in the base of her soul. Something she shouldn’t have felt, and was somehow easily ignored all this time. She couldn’t allow that girl to disappear before her eyes and now she understood why. Which made her heart shudder at the route she was about to take.

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She climbed off Dander and sniffed the air, the scent of roses headed deeper into the woods and she found it easier to track it on foot. Dander found this wonderful as he could nibble on almost everything he passed by. Her ears twitched wildly about listening for any signs of Naveen. There was a quiet sniff and a few coughs directly in front of her she sped up, slipped through a thick line of shrubs and found herself staring at Naveens back.

“...Naveen?” Xylee edged closer noticing that Naveen was shivering from the cold, she had forgotten to take a coat when she fled her own room.

“....hi.....” She didn’t turn around, so Xylee approached cautiously. She stopped a few steps behind her and waited, when nothing happened moved next to her sat down. The stream moved quickly past the duo. Naveen turned her head away from Xylee and hugged her knees close to her body. Xylee gave into the strange impulse of sharing and began her attempt at explaining herself.

“I... I spoke to Seth earlier. He said there was always a price to this... kind of honesty.” Xylee spoke as clearly as her mind allowed her. “I didn’t know, what,” she paused scrunching up her face trying to replace the words she didn’t know, “I didn’t know what it was. It makes my heart feel funny and my stomach flips about... and I’m still not sure if I’m sick mentally and physically. I mean I’ve never gotten sick before but I know pain... I’m.... sorry.” Naveen stayed silent except for her shivering. Xylee stood up and removed her coat, draped it over Naveens shoulders and pulled it closed under her neck.

“I’m better with the cold than you are.” She sat back down and folded her arms. “I don’t actually understand how I work inside, but I didn’t know things like this happened. I mean I read about some of these things but,” she shook her head, “I thought it was just fantasy stories, tall tales and humans that worked like this.” Mist escaped her lips as she spoke and Naveen watched these insubstantial warm clouds disappear into nothing, wishing she could do the same.

They sat and watched the world move about them, each with their own view yet with the same base desire.

“I never should have said anything, I wasn’t ready to pay the price, but either way I think I’ve lost you.”

“You’re right, you shouldn’t have. What you said was wrong.” Naveen spoke quietly. Xylees ears followed her mood and sank beneath her golden hair.

“You can’t feel that way about me.” Naveen shook her head and looked intently into Xylees eyes. “I have to pick someone my father believes to be suitable and hopefully I’ll learn to love them.”

“But you said your father would let you marry someone you love?”

“What is said and what is expected of me are two entirely different things. I haven’t had many suitors, most of them are too scared to co rule with a woman, rule a province of this size and the fact that we have the largest concentration of Dreagnance on Thir separates the madmen from the insane.” She sighed deeply and carried on. “Clanece, he’s the only one in the kingdom with an ounce of bravery and the ability to gain any sort of respect from the people, even if it is in his own nefarious type of way. He’s young he can grow, and give the kingdom little healthy babies to ogle at, then maybe he’ll get tired of me and replace some new young things to conquer. I’ll merely be an old remainder of the Tyres reign for the people to look upon with sympathy.” Xylee was shocked. How could she view herself in such a manner?

“I’m just another female with a royal title. No more and possibly much less. I can’t feel what you want me to feel,” she looked into her eyes again, “I’m the last true Tyres Xylee, I have a duty, to my father and the people. I don’t love you,” she paused watching the pain her words brought sink deeper into Xylees core, “and I never will. Not like you wish of me. But I will always be your friend.”

Lying came easy to her, what was hard was watching the agony her lies brought.