The Princess's Servant

28. The Sale

"I don't know who you're talking about, Sybbie," came Nara's voice. "Are you sure you've got the right encampment?"

Holden ducked into an empty tent and plotted his next move. He could try to run, but his leg was still injured and his body was shaking from hunger. He needed a different plan.

"Shut it," Sybil said. "Give me him back to me or I swear I'll lay waste to your site."

"Hmmmmmm," Nara drew out. "A tempting offer. Counter offer — you relinquish authority over my land and hand me the right to govern it. If you do that, then maybe I'll think about helping you search for whatever it was you so carelessly lost."

Holden's heart rate spiked. So she had been planning to sell him out. The prince listened closer.

"You had your shot at governing," Sybil replied. "You gave it up. Now I'm the heir to the throne, and as such, I demand that you return to me what you stole."

"Or what?" Nara's shadow tossed its head. "You'll have me beheaded? Hung? Thrown bound and squirming into a lion's pit?"

Sybil said nothing.

"Give me four satchels of gold, and you'll have yourself a deal," the huntress told her.

A fear alighted in Holden's heart as his leg itched and stung under its bandages.

"You'll have one," the princess replied.

"Sold," said Nara, and the two stood to exit.

The runaway-turned-captive-turned-runaway hid himself fully behind the tanned hide of the hut as the hunters left their housing, his mouth gaped and his breathing halted. What would Nara think when she reached his empty tent? Would they search the woods for him? Search the camp? Holden peaked out and found himself at least forty paces from the nearest tree. Assuming he could make it undetected, Nara knew he could climb. He needed a better plan.

Holden felt his skin tingle with fear. The two approached the tent that he'd been sleeping in. He couldn't believe that woman. He couldn't believe that he'd believed her about a "curse" that "compels her to help others." How ridiculous. If he did get caught, this would in part be his fault, he thought.

Sybil and Nara walked straight up to the flapped door of Holden's tent. They walked past it.

Holden blinked a few times. Had she forgotten where she'd put him? They kept walking, past the tents and towards the edge of the settlement. Their two figures faded into the blackness of night as they walked out of range the fire pits and torches. Where the hell was she taking Sybil?

Holden studied the back panel of the tent he hid in.  If he started out now, he might be able to make it to the woods before either of them realized he was gone, even with his aching leg.

As the young prince moved from his crouch, he heard a shout shatter the silence.

"SOO-EE!"

Followed by the rumbling of hooves.

"Peaches!!" The princess squeeled. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

It couldn't be. There was no way—

"I was so worried about you! Thank the stars you're alright! My big beautiful boar in my arms again..."

The prince frowned a bit at their happy reunion. He didn't know how the princess would react if she ever found him, but it certainly wouldn't go like that. She'd probably make him regret ever running away and then regret ever existing. Holden's brow lowered. He felt the need to plug his ears.

Nara cleared her throat and Holden heard the clanking of coins.

"Sybil, this is half a pouch at best," the huntress said.

"That's all I have on me. If you don't like it, you can take it up with the Queen."

Nara said nothing for a stretching moment. "Take your pig and get out of here before I shoot you both."

Holden heard Sybil and her pig begin to depart.

"And you owe me the other half!" The huntress yelled.

"No I don't!" The princess replied, and the prince listened as footsteps and hoofsteps walked out of earshot.

For a beat, the night was still. Sybil and Nara's argument had quieted and the bugs in the immediate vicinity had gone silent. All that remained were the distant chirping of crickets and—

Footsteps! Closer to his hiding place! It wasn't possible—!

A blonde-haired woman poked her face in the opening of his hiding hut. Holden's heart stopped. He could only catch his breath when he saw her eyes by firelight. They were not the dead eyes of the princess, but the mournfully compassionate eyes of the huntress.

"It's safe to come out, now," Nara told him.

The prince shifted out of his tense position, but he didn't relax or dare leave the tent. "Was I that easy to find?"

"Obviously not that easy if she didn't find you," the woman smiled. "I take it Sybil's the one who did that to you," she said, pointing to the band around Holden's neck.

Holden gripped the ring with his finger tips, digging in to create some distance between the metal and his skin. "No," he said, a defensiveness cutting into his voice. "Well... Technically I did it to myself," he said, though it was a weak assertion. The prince felt some deep shame rise within him. He shook his head and tried to bury it.

"Right," Nara said. "I'm sure it was all very consensual."

Holden's fingers loosened around the band. He exhaled and slumped his shoulders as he let his hand fall to his side. "Thank you, Nara, by the way. For not selling me out. I owe you that."

"Oh please," Nara smirked. "Did you see how little coin she had on her? She couldn't afford to buy you, even if I'd wanted to sell."

"Right..." Holden said, unsure if that was a joke.

"Besides. What do I keep saying about my curse?"

"Curses aren't real," the prince replied.

Nara cut him a serious glare, her eyes wide and hollow. "Aren't they?" was all she said.

Holden didn't know how to respond to that. He furrowed his brow and felt a tension grow within his chest.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get you back to bed."

The two left the tent and headed towards the prince's furs.

"Do the princess and you know each other?" Holden cautioned as they walked through the cool night air.

"Something like that," Nara replied.