The Princess's Servant

37. The Debate

"That was her reaction?! To say 'I know you'd never leave me,' in a tiny kid voice before her only beloved sister left her in dust?!" Holden asked. "You're definitely the reason she's messed up!"

"No," Nara defended. "Your family's the reason we're both messed up."

"Bullshit!" Holden replied. "You abandoned her as a five year old and saddled her with the responsibilities of an adult!"

She cut him a dangerous look. "I did what I had to for my own happiness. I'm not sorry for it. Sybil can choose her own happiness, too, if she ever learns to let go of 'duty.'"

"But she was a child," Holden told her, his voice low and strangely defensive. The prince didn't remember ever feeling protective of Sybil — quite the opposite. But hearing her story, imagining her as she'd been then... He couldn't help but feel a twinge of injustice.

The huntress looked at him. "So was I," she said. "So were you. I'll admit I could have handled my departure better, but I did the best I could, for a twelve year old. And anyways, she turned out fine so who cares?"

"You're wrong," Holden said.

"Pardon?"

"I said you're wrong. She turned out horribly. She mutilates innocent civilians at her tavern for fun. She forced her poor guard to beat me essentially at random. She enslaved me and tormented me day in and day out for seemingly no reason."

Nara kicked her legs out and let go of another breath. "Yeah, well... We all have to get through the day somehow," she said. "I don't condone my sister's actions, but I can hardly fault her for them. It's use or be used in this world, and Sybil's always been tragically good at staying on top."

"Again, wrong," Holden sighed. "There is no top or bottom, winners or losers, used or users. The only thing in this world are those who can sleep with themselves at night and those who can't."

"I see," Nara said. "You're cursed, too."

Holden's eye caught glance of her ropes and his heart fluttered. He collected himself and let out a breath. "Yeah, maybe," he allowed. "But maybe one man's curse is another's luck. Lean forward a little."

"Hm?" Nara asked, but Holden didn't look at her.

"I said lean forward," he said and he readied himself for his attempt.

The huntress looked as confused as if he'd just asked her to dance around with a bird on her head, but she did as she was told. She leaned forward in her binds and Holden turned his back to her as much as he could.

She felt something tug at her ropes and then—

Her eyes went wide. Blood rushed into her forearms. Breath restored to her belly. She felt the total freedom of loosening ties.

She didn't say anything for a moment, for fear that the bandits would notice the rope pooling in her lap.

"What about you?" She said, her voice an inflectionless ghost of a whisper.

"The knot is all the way at my other side. You'd have to stand up to reach it. And by that time..."

Nara nodded solemnly.

"But it's alright," he told her. I'm on my way back home. It's what I wanted."

"Holden—"

"Leave. Before they see you."

She took in breath to speak again but found no words. Holden nodded and she nodded in return.

And then, in one motion, Nara stood and slipped her binds. A commotion stirred among the bandits, who took sight of the fleeing noble. She ran into the afternoon woods, pursued passionately by two of the five bandits, which was three fewer than Holden would have guessed.

The fourth bandit fought a sparse-toothed smile. His plan had worked. The girl had discovered the loose end and slipped her binds. And now he could slip off with the real prize all to himself. He could slip off with Prince Holden.

A/N: Happy Friday the 13th, y'all B)

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