Ki'tory had the nightmare again, and this time, when she woke up, she felt like those red monstrous eyes were still watching her.
Her heart hammered in fear for the time that was slipping through her fingers faster than sand. If the Prince stayed away from the castle till it was time to fight the war, she would have lost to the Queen, and her people would be defeated even before the battle.
Where was he? Had he run away to never return? Or was he just taunting her with his absence? He must know that his lack of an answer would be chasing her to madness. Maybe he was hoping that after this, she would give up and drink his tea of poison. Or that she would have gotten rid of herself before his arrival.
That would be stupid of him. She had much to think of besides herself in her decision-making, and he knew it.
Ki'tory had the misfortune of running into the Queen a couple of times, and she had done nothing but mock her. Thankfully, she was too busy receiving reports about planning the Sun Ball and those that would be invited, along with having meetings which concerned running the affairs of Rf'Guztak, to be bothered with her. After all, she knew that her situation with her son didn't seem promising in the least.
Days went by, and still nothing. Fear collided with desperation, her recurring nightmares worsening her condition as her dread increased. Ki'tory could feel herself slipping away into madness. It was this feeling of complete powerlessness that made her ask Imova and Aytao if the Prince had a relationship with anyone before his marriage to her. After all, if that was the case, then it would explain why the Prince hated her so much and who it was that he was protecting, and if he had gone to to his lover.
She had tried to ask the young Prince first, but he avoided her like the plague.
"A woman, Milady? The Crown Prince?" Aytao had laughed. "None at all."
"Is it because of the rumours—"
Aytao had quickly pressed her hand over Ki'tory's lips, and Imova's eyes went wide with fear, as she looked around quickly as if ensuring that no one had heard her, even though they were in the Princess's room.
"That rumour is not welcomed in the Castle, Milady." Aytao dropped her hand and moved back. "There are no monsters in Rf'Guztak."
"Of course." Ki'tory chuckled, "What was I thinking?"
Aytao and Imova joined her.
"Are you certain he has no interest in anyone at all. I just want to know the kind of women he likes, maybe it might help me. You can tell me, I don't care even if she were a maid. "
Imova gasped, her eyes wide with fear.
It took Ki'tory all the control she had within her not to roll her eyes. What was it now?
"Milady, it is forbidden for the royal blood to mix with that of a servant. Such a servant would be buried alive. It happened in the past, a very long time ago, we have all heard the stories of Uzitabo. Nobody wants to be her."
Ki'tory had then contemplated killing the Queen, but that would be stupid. The whole of Rf'Guztak would kill her, then kill her people. It would defeat everything. Besides if the Prince does not accept her, killing the Queen might make things worse for her. Killing the Prince was also out of the question.
She had received a letter back from her parents; her mother was worried about her, and her father was grateful for her sacrifice.
She could not fail them. She couldn't fail Eki.
As if things weren't already terrible, Aytao started to become absent. She pleaded with her not to be reported to the Queen.
"My mother is sick," she said. "I have no coins to afford a good physician. I fear that she may die. I am only trying to do everything I can to get the coins needed," she begged, but that wasn't even the terrible thing that awaited Ki'tory.
Moved by sympathy, Ki'tory had given her some of the jewelry that had been bought for her the day she got into the castle. Aytao was grateful, and in exchange, she had given her a piece of information. In that piece of information laid what made everything worse.
"The Queen is inviting the Princess of Vugak's Kingdom as an exchange for the Crown Prince killing the terrorist Sazil, who wreaked havoc on them. If the Crown Prince should take her hand on the first dance, then it will mean he has agreed to whatever it is that the Queen has been asking him to do."
"He will marry her?"
"Yes, Milady." When the silence stretched on, Aytao spoke again. "And in Rf'Guztak, not even a King can have two wives. Don't you know what that means for you, Princess?"
Oh, she did. She understood it very well. Was her nightmare about Yarma going to come to a reality? By Muktury, no.
Ki'tory was at the brink of delirium when, finally, on the 14th day of her waiting, Imova rushed into the room and declared the words she had been waiting the longest to hear.
"Princess, the Prince has returned!"
**************************************
Ki'tory had dutifully continued her tour with Aytao and Imova for the past 14 days, and the knowledge she acquired during those days came in handy as she raced down the stairs, taking her twists and turns when appropriate with swift legs. Imova had fallen on her way downstairs, and Ki'tory had rushed back to pull her to her feet.
"Stay behind, I know the way," she said before continuing her race down the stairs.
There he was.
The Crown Prince.
He was on his knees, in front of the Queen, at the door of the general floor. He was clad in iron amour, his red hair in a mess, and his face filled with fatigue and stained with dirt. Another man was kneeling next to him, clad in iron amour too, he was in the same state as the Prince.
"Please, mother, let her go. She has nothing to do with this."
Her? Who was it?
"Please, your Majesty—" The black-haired, teary-eyed man next to him spoke.
"You do not speak," she silenced him.
"It is me you want to punish, punish just me. Please, mother."
The Queen turned away and attempted to continue walking, but the Prince held her feet and begged. "I did everything you asked, I gave you Sazil's head. I received the Princess of Yarma as my punishment. Is my suffering not enough to satisfy your anger?"
Ki'tory knew that she was his punishment all along, but to hear him say it made her heart break a little. She was her father's Sun and her mother's Moon, how could she be someone's punishment?
She turned abruptly to him, her fingers cupping his chin. "Why are you begging me? The power to stop this is all in your hands. Surrender. That way, she will not die a useless death, and I can take your punishment away."
Take his punishment away? Ki'tory's heart sank. Aytao was right.
The Queen wasn't one to be bound by honour, not to play dirty. Despite how strong a bloodoath, there were ways to play around it. If she could make the Crown Prince choose another wife, then certainly he would never love her, and she would fail.
Her nightmare flashed in her mind, and Ki'tory shook it away. Her stakes kept rising, and she had no advantage. By Muktury, she hated this!
She needed to find out who he was protecting as fast as possible, she needed something to take advantage of over him.
A grave look took over the Prince's face, and he pulled her hand away.
"Then this punishment will never end, and if you dare to outsmart me again, I will send you her head."
Without a word, he ascended the stairs, and his friend followed him. Ki'tory stood aside as the Prince ignored her existence. She turned to go up too, but it was too late, the Queen had already seen her.
"Your misery has been entertaining?"
All the time of mockery must have annoyed Ki'tory to the point that she had spoken without thinking.
"And that too without any effort, you are easily amused, Your Majesty. In Yarma, we would say you are ti u'akzy."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"One who is too easily pleased. Way too easy."
Something ticked in Queen's jaw before her red painted lips stretched into a smile, and the silence fractured with her laughter.
"She jests, everyone."
The guard that Ki'tory was only now noticing, and the servants that followed the Queen, joined in the laughter. The laughter ceased as quickly as it began.
"Come and watch the Masquerade dance practice with me. Let us see how easily amused I am." The Queen held Ki'tory's hand, squeezing it tightly, a smile plastered on her face, revealing her perfect set of white teeth.
Ki'tory's heart leaped, and she gulped.
She had played too close to the sun, it was time to get burnt.
******************
The masquerade danced swiftly and gracefully with their blades, and it wasn't until the dance was over that Ki'tory realized she was laced with her blood from the many cuts she was bleeding from.
Pain seized her, and she crumbled to the floor of the throne room.
The Queen laughed. "Easily amused, right?"
"If I am dead too quickly, then you are ridding your son of his worst punishment. Is that really what you want?"
"Do not be delusional. You are not his worst punishment." She stomped her heel on Ki'tory's chest.
The pain felt too jarring, and Ki'tory pushed her heel away, summoning all the strength in her to sit up. "All this because my father rejected your best friend."
The Queen's eyes darkened, and she bent and grabbed Ki'tory's hair. "No." She smiled before her face was suddenly twisted with hatred once again. "All this because he killed her."